Taken together, the studies in mouse and human airway epithelium regarding the regulation of mucociliary clearance by nAChR point towards nAChR, especially the α3β4 subtype, being a suitable therapeutic target for the stimulation of the mucociliary clearance under disease conditions in which it is impaired, such as in cystic fibrosis and in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Here, CHRNA4 is linked to cystic fibrosis.