Microscopic View of the Lining of the Lung Surface of a Person with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) (IMAGE)

NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

Microscopic View of the Lining of the Lung Surface of a Person with Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

Caption

This illustration depicts a microscopic view of the lining of the lung surface of a person with cystic fibrosis (CF). In people with CF, a protein that releases bicarbonate, a key infection-fighting agent (represented by red spheres), is missing or defective (brown ribbon structure). The drug amphotericin (white structure) can form channels to release bicarbonate in lung tissue, restoring the antibiotic properties of the airway surface liquid, the thin layer of fluid covering the surface of the lungs that plays a key role in maintaining lung health.

Credit

Rebecca Schultz, Carle Illinois College of Medicine

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