Already the project has revealed a previously unknown type of cell in the windpipe that might play a role in cystic fibrosis — and lead to a new treatment, scientists say.
A few decades ago, babies born with conditions such as congenital heart disease or cystic fibrosis often didn't survive past childhood. Now many live longer, but adult medicine has not kept pace.
Why do some people get sick from genetic mutations and others don't? Scientists say clues may lie in a rare group of people who carry profound genetic defects but somehow don't fall ill.