Cystic fibrosis, an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the U.S., has been a difficult disease to study as there are no effective animal models that mimic the human condition. That changed recently because University of Missouri and University of Iowa researchers can now produce pigs born with CF that have the exact symptoms of a newborn human with the disease.
Cystic fibrosis ⋅ Page 1
A New Friend in the Fight Against Cystic Fibrosis
Mizzou and Iowa Researchers Take First Step to Create Cystic Fibrosis Human Model Using Pigs
For years, scientists have studied cystic fibrosis using mice in which the cystic fibrosis gene was altered. However, mice do not develop lung disease like humans with cystic fibrosis. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri and the University of Iowa have taken the first step in developing a cystic fibrosis model with animals more common to humans—pigs.