What are the causes of cystic fibrosis?
The causes of cystic fibrosis are purely genetic. A mutation of a single gene affects a protein called the “Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator,” or CFTR, and this mutation is responsible for all the symptoms of cystic fibrosis. The CFTR monitors passage of chloride ions within the body. Chloride ions help the movement of water through cells, and when they are disrupted by the mutation of the CFTR, normally produced mucus becomes thick and slimy rather than thin and freely moving. It then clogs passages in the body.
