New benefits found in cystic fibrosis drugs
SCIENTISTS at Edinburgh University have shown that drugs given to cystic fibrosis sufferers may have unexpected long-term benefits.
Researchers in the university's School of Biological Sciences looked at the effects of treatments given to people suffering from the condition, which causes thick mucus to clog internal organs including the lungs and digestive system.
They found that drugs which break down mucus in the lungs may also make bacterial lung infections less harmful by changing the types of bacteria which can thrive in the lungs.
The Edinburgh researchers worked with colleagues in Oxford and Bath in a study supported by the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust.
Researcher Dr Rolf Kuemmerli said: "We hope our findings will underline the need for treatments that target mucus in the lungs."
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited condition that affects more than 8,000 people in the UK.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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