Cystic fibrosis, one of the most common chronic lung and digestive system diseases in children and adults, is caused by a defective gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The most common mutation is the deletion of the phenylalanine amino acid residue at position 508 that leads to a defect in the protein transport to the cell surface, resulting in premature digestion of the protein. A Wayne State University research team led by Fei Sun, Ph.D., assistant professor of physiology in the School of Medicine, recently received a grant with an anticipated amount of nearly $1.9 million from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health to better understand how this defective protein in cystic fibrosis patients is prematurely digested. Sun and Hilary Ratner, Wayne State's vice president for research, comment in the story.

http://www.firstscience.com/home/news/biology/wayne-state-receives-1-9-million-from-nih-to-create-novel-cystic-fibrosis-treatments_117676.html
http://www.bioportfolio.com/news/article/872304/Wsu-Receives-Nhlbi-Grant-To-Develop-New-Cf-Treatments.html
http://enterprisepost.com/biomed/bio/wayne-state-receives-1-9-million-from-nih-to-create-novel-cystic-fibrosis-treatments-2.html