Vitamin D may be an effective therapy to treat and even prevent allergy to a common mold that can cause severe complications for patients with cystic fibrosis and asthma, according to researchers from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Results of the study, led by Jay Kolls, M.D., Ph.D…

PULMONARY: Can vitamin D reduce a complication of cystic fibrosis? The lungs of most individuals with cystic fibrosis are colonized by the mold Aspergillus fumigatus. In some this causes a condition known as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), which is characterized by wheezing, lung infiltration by immune cells, and lung scarring, while others remain disease free…

Research conducted by Dr. Jay Kolls, Professor and Chair of Genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and colleagues, has found that vitamin D may be an effective therapeutic agent to treat or prevent allergy to a common mold that can complicate asthma and frequently affects patients with Cystic Fibrosis. The work was scheduled to be published online August 16, 2010, ahead of the print edition of the September 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The environmental mold, Aspergillus fumigatus, is one of the most prevalent fungal organisms inhaled by people…

A chartered accountant who just 28 months ago underwent a double lung transplant has won six medals at the European Heart and Lung Transplant Games in Vaxjo, Sweden representing Great Britain. Nick Condon, a cystic fibrosis sufferer from Northamptonshire who works for Macintyre Hudson LLP, won gold medals in the 100m and 4km races and tennis, in addition to silver in the 4×100m relay and bronze in both 20km cycling and golf…

Patients with cystic fibrosis recover from exacerbations equally well if they are treated at home or in a hospital, according to researchers. Furthermore, longer treatment with antibiotics does not appear to offer any additional benefit over shorter courses.

Transave, Inc., reported interim results from a multi-cycle Phase II open label clinical trial in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients on its lead investigational drug, ARIKACE™ (liposomal amikacin for inhalation). The data indicated that ARIKACE, delivered once daily for 28 consecutive days followed by 56 days off-treatment for four cycles demonstrated statistically significant improvement in lung function that was sustained during the 56 days off study drug. ARIKACE was well-tolerated during the four cycles…

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc. announced that it has acquired RespiVert Ltd., a privately held drug discovery company focused on developing small-molecule, inhaled therapies for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The company’s lead compounds, RV-568 and RV-1088, narrow spectrum kinase inhibitors with a unique profile of anti-inflammatory activities, are progressing into clinical development as potential first-in-class treatments for moderate to severe asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF)…

Thousands of cyclists will take to the streets this summer and fall as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation launches a new cycling tour in 18 cities across the country to support research to find new therapies and a cure for cystic fibrosis. The tour series, known as ZENPEP® CF Cycle for Life begins in San Francisco on June 26. The event’s title sponsor is Eurand N.V., a global specialty pharmaceutical company, which makes ZENPEP® (pancrelipase) Delayed-Release capsules, a pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy…

New research advances our understanding of the gating mechanism of the CFTR, the chloride channel mutated in cystic fibrosis patients. The study by Tzyh-Chang Hwang and colleagues (University of Missouri), and accompanying Commentary by Laszlo Csanady (Semmelweis University) appear in the May issue of the Journal of General Physiology. CFTR is a member of the superfamily of ABC proteins found in all organisms, from bacteria to human. The 48 human ABC proteins mostly mediate transmembrane export of substrates at the expense of ATP hydrolysis…

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation announced that its Facebook page has surpassed 60,000 fans - double the number of people in the United States who have cystic fibrosis, a rare and fatal genetic disease. This rapid growth may reflect the need for people with CF to come together and exchange information in a setting that does not put their health at risk. People with CF cannot socialize in proximity to each other without risking germ transmission, which can cause serious and life-threatening lung infections…