Peter Kussin, MD
Director, CF clinic

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a disease in which advances in medicine have led to remarkable improvements in quality of life and life expectancy. Improvements in antibiotics, drug delivery systems, pulmonary toilet and rehabilitation, and advances in transplantation have contributed to this phenomenon. Moreover, advances in genetic technology has all of us excited about the potential of a "cure" for this disease. Sill, according to the CF Foundation, CF affects approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States and more than 10 million Americans are unknowing, symptomless carriers of the defective CF gene. Clearly this is a disease that is of major medical impact to our society and the individuals and families that it affects.

At Duke, we have a certified CF center, comprised of a dedicated team of physicians, nurses, nutritionists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and physical therapists. Meanwhile, the success of our transplant program in patients with cystic fibrosis serves as a model for other programs and allows our CF center to care for patients with more advanced CF. Combined with clinical and basic science research in cystic fibrosis, we strive for better paradigms for the care of our patients.