Where are we in terms of curing—and treating—cystic fibrosis?

Cystic fibrosis (CF) has long been considered a life limiting condition, as patients have historically struggled with significant morbidity and early mortality. The past few decades have brought remarkable progress, transforming the prognosis for many beyond lifespans they had even dreamed of.

“In the 1960s, cystic fibrosis was an almost exclusively paediatric condition,” says David Ramsden, chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. “Many people with the condition would have actually not made it through even very early childhood.” Today, the median predicted survival for a baby born with CF has increased to over 60 years, in stark contrast with previous decades.

Yet CF was also frequently cited as one of the conditions that might be “cured” at the dawn of gene therapy. Where do medicine and research currently stand in the search for a cure? And as people with CF live longer and longer lives, …