cystic fibrosis

February 2, 2026

Pom-poms for a new era: Briceton Latta’s next cystic fibrosis chapter

When Briceton Latta was born in 2006, the average life expectancy of a patient with CF was 37. Today, that expectancy is 65 and beyond.

By Christina Echegaray
December 12, 2024

Go inside the lab as Maddie Wright, a CF warrior, ‘geeks out’ over the science of Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories 

A 17-year-old cystic fibrosis warrior and liver transplant recipient with antibiotic resistance got to see science in action at Vanderbilt Medical Laboratories.

By Jessica Pasley and Erin O. Smith
Maddie Wright with her service dog, Quip. (photo by Erin O. Smith)
November 8, 2024

Patient’s experiences bring antimicrobial resistance into sharp focus

But this class of medicines, which includes antibiotics, can cause more harm than good when overused. That overuse can lead to antimicrobial resistance.

By Jessica Pasley
Double-lung transplant patient Mike Boston and his wife, Kellie. (photo by Donn Jones)
April 8, 2024

Lung transplant patient, family glad they came to a place where ‘every single person cared’

Mike Boston was turned down by eight hospitals for a double lung transplant, which would be his second, because none believed he would survive the surgery. Finally, doctors at one medical center — VUMC — thought he might.

By Matt Batcheldor
January 10, 2024

Pediatric cystic fibrosis diagnosis and treatment center honored by CF Foundation

By Rachel Vitolo
April 30, 2020

EHRs, biobanks and Mendelian diseases

Electronic health records and biobanks can be effectively combined to detect and study Mendelian diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

By Leigh MacMillan
April 29, 2020

Clarksville boy bounces back after COVID-19 infection

After a month of cough, off-and-on fever, not feeling well and isolation, Joseph “Jo Jo” Bostain is back to bouncing on his trampoline, reading Harry Potter books and planting flowers outside his Clarksville home.
By Christina Echegaray
August 16, 2018

Adults with cystic fibrosis face diabetes risk, spur new research

Although cystic fibrosis (CF) has long been known as a pediatric disease, physicians and scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are providing specialized care for an ever-growing population of adults with CF, as well as conducting targeted research expected to improve treatment for these patients.
By Jill Clendening
November 3, 2016

VUMC investigators find pathogens work together to infect host

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus — two pathogens that frequently co-infect the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis — appear to cooperate with each other, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered. When pseudomonas is starved for metal by the host, it shuts down the production of factors that would normally kill staph, promoting a co-infection.
By Leigh MacMillan
September 15, 2016

Study reveals new clues to cystic fibrosis ‘gender gap’

A research team led by structural biologists from Vanderbilt University has come up with the first detailed molecular explanation for a factor that may contribute to the so-called cystic fibrosis (CF) “gender gap.”
By Bill Snyder
June 13, 2014

How ABC transporters move molecules

New views of how transporters move molecules across cell membranes are key to understanding how these proteins impact tumor cell drug resistance and inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 23, 2014

Photo: Quality care award

Vanderbilt’s Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center was recently granted continued accreditation and was awarded the Quality Care Award by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
By VUMC News and Communications
March 3, 2012

Reversing lipid woes in cystic fibrosis

Abnormal levels of fatty acids in the blood and tissues of patients with cystic fibrosis may be reversed by supplementation with the fatty acids DHA and EPA.
By Leigh MacMillan