New Imaging Technology Aids Development of Cystic Fibrosis Therapy

Summary

The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is known for its cutting-edge detector technology which is used to study the structure of the nucleus of the atom. Now Jefferson Lab scientists, in collaboration with researchers at Case Western Reserve University and the University Hospitals of Cleveland, are using their expertise in detectors to build a small medical imager that is helping medical researcher develop a new gene therapy technique for cystic fibrosis. This new imaging instrument, which is sensitive enough to image cellular function, will assist the researcher in developing new ways to replace the defective gene that causes cystic fibrosis–deadly disease that affects about 30,000 Americans and which has no known cure. This research is supported by BER Medical Sciences Division.