CFTR and cystic fibrosis: Defects in the CFTR cause abnormalities in electrolyte transfer across the epithelial cells in general, leading to pathology in the lungs, pancreas, kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, but the majority of CF-related deaths are due to mucus buildup in the lungs, which inhibits mucociliary clearance and thus provides favorable conditions for colonization by certain bacterial species, such as the Bcc [10,79,82,83].