Word: lungsful
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Brianna Oas has never drawn an easy breath. When she was a baby, her tiny chest convulsed at the slightest irritation. Instead of laughing, she would cough; instead of crying, gag. She succumbed to an endless string of , respiratory infections -- pneumonia, a cold, bronchitis, pneumonia again -- that ordinary antibiotics seemed...
For half a century, doctors have been treating cystic fibrosis symptom by symptom, doing their best to stem the rising tide of mucus triggered by the disease. As this abnormally thick fluid builds up in the lungs, pancreas, liver and other organs, it not only serves as fertile ground for...
When laboratory rats had this reconstructed virus sprayed into their tiny lungs, they not only absorbed the foreign gene but actually sprouted, in their airways, the human protein that scientists believe will cure CF (Since the cells that line the lungs are shed periodically, this aerosol gene therapy will probably...
Another futuristic therapy involves the manipulation of the errant protein itself. This molecule, which scientists have already reconstructed using the blueprint provided by the CF gene, could conceivably be goaded into working properly with the right medication. Alternatively, doctors could implant a healthy version of the CF gene in embryonic...
Once there, some experts fear, the gel may trigger a variety of autoimmune disorders as the body tries to protect itself from the perceived invader. These include scleroderma, which thickens and stiffens the skin and causes a buildup of fibrous tissue in the lungs and other organs; lupus erythematosus, which...