Abstract

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disease with the mutant gene located on chromosome 7 and it encodes the dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. It largely affects the Caucasian community while documented report of occurrence in African countries is scarce.

Nutrigenomics can be defined as the study of interactions between the genome and diet, taking into cognizance the mode in which nutrients affect the transcription and translation process as well as subsequent proteomic and metabolomic changes, including differences in response to dietary factors based on the genetic makeup of the individual. Although advances in this area are scanty in the application to the treatment of cystic fibrosis, exploring existing reports may serve as an additional avenue of developing more efficient nutritional based therapies in combating and improving the prognosis of the disease and further extending the life expectancy of this population.

This review documents existing reports of nutrition based applications of nutrigenomics in the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Keywords: Cystic fibrosis; Nutrigenomics; Curcumin; Choline-related compounds