SAN DIEGO — It's a genetic disease that affects the lungs, which is why people with Cystic Fibrosis have been especially cautious since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
For the first time in three years, the San Diego chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation held its first in-person event.
CBS 8's Marcella Lee had the honor of emceeing the guild luncheon, a fundraiser held outdoors at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.
San Diego chapter board chair Jennifer Gell, and mother of two children with Cystic Fibrosis, said mRNA research behind the COVID-19 vaccines accelerated research for a CF cure.
"The cure is on its way," said Gell. "Everything that's been going on with mRNA technology has really advanced the approach to how we can cure Cystic Fibrosis. There are actually some clinical trials starting this year using mRNA technology."
In 1980, the average life expectancy for a child born with CF was only 10 years old. Right now, it's 50 years old. Research and better treatment options, much of it being done and developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in San Diego, continues to extend lives, with the hope that CF one day stands for "Cure Found."
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