Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defect in the gene responsible for manufacturing cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a protein that controls the flow of chloride ions into and out of certain cells. This image, created to aid in the understanding of child patients, illustrates the process of disrupting, cutting up, the defected DNA and gene sequencing. This can slow down and sometimes stop the damage to the lungs. This is just one of the tools in our arsenal against this devastating disease, but the hope is that someday soon, the disease will be obsolete.