Advances in genetics have enabled the basic principles of inheritance to be unraveled, leading to a more detailed understanding of many of the mechanisms that make it possible for the body to function correctly. Furthermore, many factors underlying certain diseases have been brought to light.Cystic fibrosis is one of the diseases in which it has been possible to identify in detail the genetic disturbances related to the clinical manifestations. Although only a single gene is responsible for this condition, there are more than eight hundred mutations that cause different degrees of the disorder. The main systems affected are the respiratory and digestive tracts and, untreated, cystic fibrosis can lead to a series of life-threatening complications. However, there are a number of therapeutic options that considerably improve the prognosis in these patients from an early age.It is thus essential for professionals to keep their knowledge permanently up to date and for affected individuals and their families to understand the condition, its clinical course, and the factors that affect its prognosis. In order to promote these objectives and contribute to improving the quality of life of these patients, we present this book that contains the fundamental, up-to-date information on this disease.
