The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators ivacaftor and lumacaftor are prototypic examples of how basic science approaches, using high-throughput screening, translate into real clinical benefits [1–3]. However, with current CFTR modulation seemingly occupying ‘front page news’ of innovative therapies in CF lung disease, other promising pharmacotherapeutic strategies in CF may not receive the attention they deserve. To address these issues, we have commissioned a basic review series in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, comprising three state-of-the-art review articles: (i) understanding and targeting inflammation in CF [4], (ii) perspectives of targeting ion channels in CF [5] and (iii) how ‘omics’ and high-throughput approaches can be utilized to mec...

By Kate Kelland and Ben Hirschler LONDON, June 15 (Reuters) - Three years after the mysterious MERS virus first emerged in humans, scientists and drugmakers say there is no excuse for not having a vaccine that could have protected those now falling sick and dying in South Korea. The facts behind the coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) have been slow to emerge, partly due to a secretive response in Saudi Arabia, which has suffered an outbreak stretching back to 2012. But scientists do know that it is similar to the deadly SARS virus, that it probably originated in bats, that it is linked to camels, and can pass from person to person. They also understand its molecular structure. That all yields scientific detail for researchers to begi...

The objective of this systematic review was to assess the effect CPAP therapy on endothelial function in patients with OSA. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis searching literature databases up to August 2013 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effect of CPAP on endothelial function in OSA, assessed by flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) and other validated techniques. The primary outcome for the meta‐analysis (DerSimonian/Laird random‐effects method) was the treatment effect on FMD. Eight RCTs comparing the effects of therapeutic CPAP versus subtherapeutic CPAP (or no intervention) on endothelial function involving 245 OSA patients were included in the systematic review. The studies are consistent in effect direction, showing an improvement of endothelial func...

Exercising regularly has a wide range of beneficial health effects; in particular, it has been well documented to help in the management of chronic illnesses including asthma. However, in some individuals, exertion can also trigger an exacerbation of asthmatic episodes and subsequent acute attacks of breathlessness, coughing, tightness of the chest and wheezing. This physiological process is called exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) whereby post-exercise forced expiratory volume in 1 s is reduced by 10-15% from baseline. While EIB is highly prevalent in asthmatics and presents with similar respiratory symptoms, asthma and EIB are not mutually exclusive. The aim of this review is to present a broad overview of both conditions in order to enhance the understanding of the similarities...