Lab study probes new ways to loosen sticky mucus in cystic fibrosis

This study collected sputum (mucus coughed up from the lungs) from healthy volunteers and people with cystic fibrosis. Researchers tested whether certain sugar-like compounds could block bacterial and fungal proteins from binding to mucus, and whether these compounds could make the mucus less sticky. The goal was to better understand how infections interact with mucus in cystic fibrosis, not to test a treatment on patients.