How our research has made a difference
Worldwide research into cystic fibrosis (CF) has led to massive improvements in quality of life and survival for people with CF over the last 50 years. The Trust has funded and supported a wide range of research studies that have contributed to these improvements, from studies to tackle the underlying cause of CF, to understanding and treating the symptoms of CF, with a particular emphasis on lung infections.
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Research Impact Reports
Our Research Impact Reports cover the achievements we have made in moving towards new treatments for CF since the publication of our first research strategy in 2013.
The first Research Impact Report published in 2021 gives an in-depth overview on the difference our funding has made.
We published our latest Research Impact Report in November 2022, which gives some examples of the difference we’re making together as one united and unstoppable community.
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Research in focus
Our Research in focus reports give an overview of an aspect of CF where our funding is making a difference. Read our latest Research in focus report on the long term effects of Kaftrio published in April 2022.
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Advancing knowledge of CF and how to treat it
Every research study that the Trust has funded builds on what we know about CF, how it affects people and what might be the best way to treat it. We’ve divided our research into three topics, and for each of them we’ve described in detail how our research has contributed to what we know today about cystic fibrosis.
Tackling the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis
We have funded research with a range of strategies to tackle the underlying cause of the disease. These include methods to deliver healthy copies of the CF gene, repair the damaged CF gene itself or to boost the activity of ‘alternative’ channel proteins.
Read more about the achievements of our research projects investigating the underlying cause of CF
Understanding and treating symptoms of cystic fibrosis
Our research funding has supported new ways to monitor lung health and high-risk pharmaceutical development pipelines. In 2017 we learned the results of a project at Nottingham University to understand the CF community’s priorities for research, it has become one of the guiding principles on deciding which research projects we fund.
Read more about the achievements of our research projects understanding and treating symptoms of CF.
Understanding and treating lung infections
Research funded by the Trust has led to the development of new guidelines for managing NTM cross infection, a bank of clinical Pseudomonas samples that accurately represent the infection in people with CF, and a better understanding of how the bugs adapt to the CF lung.
Read more about the achievements of our research projects towards a better understanding and better treatments for lung infections.
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Looking back at achievements from our 2013–2018 research strategy
When the Trust’s first five-year research strategy drew to a close in 2018, we analysed our performance in delivering the programme we set out to achieve. We delivered on the majority of our objectives and the findings helped to shape our current strategy.
Research we fund
We fund research to tackle some of the most pressing issues in CF today. Find out how your donations are making a difference.
What is CF?
Cystic fibrosis, or CF, affects the lungs, digestive system and other organs. There are around 11,000 people living with it in the UK.
Contact us
Get in touch with us to speak to someone on our Helpline, find out about an event or speak to our press team.