MUC5AC and cystic fibrosis: In conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis (CF), altered mucus properties, including increased thickness and viscosity due to higher mucin concentration or inflammation, impair clearance mechanisms (Abrami et al., 2024; Batson et al., 2022; Fahy and Dickey, 2010; Ghanem et al., 2021; Hill et al., 2022; Lin et al., 2020; Shah et al., 2023; Tufail et al., 2025).