In this feature of The Path Forward with CF series, Dr. Hans-Willem Snoeck, Professor of Medicine (Microbiology and Immunology) at CUMC, sits down to discuss stem cell research as it relates to CF.

Because lung cells regenerate and repair themselves regularly, researchers believe that – some day – stem cell technology could be a one-time therapy to cure cystic fibrosis. Research is ongoing, but in the meantime, scientists can currently use human pluripotent stem cells to create lung organoids (tiny, 3-D structures that mimic features of a full-sized lung), introduce various mutations, and apply technologies to learn more about those mutations’ characteristics.

This video podcast was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Columbia University Medical Center and the Lung Transplant Project.