Background. In order to measure CFTR activity in a minimal invasive manner, we set up a method to assay functional CFTR and focussed on leukocytes from healthy and CF donors. Leukocytes are recognized in the scientific literature as a key component of the pathogenetic events associated to cystic fibrosis and represent an easily accessible source of primary cells that might be exploited to monitor CFTR expression and activity.

Hypothesis and objective. The major aim of this project is to validate the sensitivity and specificity of a fluorescence reporter assay as a functional, minimally invasive test of CFTR channel activity in peripheral blood cells (PBMCs or monocytes).