Exposure to silica dust may trigger pulmonary fibrosis (PF) because silica particles block a self-cleansing process used by cells, termed autophagy, which drives cell death in the lungs, a study using both human cells and mice showed.  Researchers say the findings may improve…

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Aristotle In today’s healthcare environment, an overwhelming percentage of resources are spent on treating diseases and their associated manifestations. While treatment of disease is an essential part of wellness, there is far more to being healthy than simply not being…

Increased levels of the signaling molecule IFN-gamma in the blood, as well as of other pro-inflammatory proteins and immune-response activators, can contribute to the worsening of acute symptoms in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study finds. Therefore, assessment of these particular molecules may help predict IPF acute…

Arguably, one of the most soul-searching questions someone can ask is, “What is my purpose in this life?” The answer to that question isn’t always easy and it likely changes as we grow and develop. When a life-threatening illness like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is added to the…

Madeline Collin, a 24-year-old activist with Gaucher disease, worries that patients like her will suffer deeply if Britain leaves the European Union (EU), as scheduled, at the end of this month. Collin is an expert on the subject. For her University of Bath dissertation, she analyzed Brexit’s long-term impact…

When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), I didn’t comprehend what the disease could do to a person’s body. Normally, losing weight would be an ideal situation. For me, it was essential because I needed to lose 80 pounds to be under the required body mass index…

Linking the small antifibrotic protein interleukin-10 (IL-10) to a hydrogel vehicle allows safe delivery to the lungs of animal models of pulmonary fibrosis. This formulation could be a potential therapy for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study, “Hydrogel-based delivery of Il-10 improves treatment of bleomycin-induced lung…

Editor’s note: Brad Dell, the head of columns for Bionews Services, wrote this column. When I walked into Kim Fredrickson’s room in the intensive care unit (ICU), my emotions ripped me this way and that — grief, relief, anxiety, joy — all fluctuating and overwhelming. Once Kim smiled at…

Ofev (nintedanib) may exert its therapeutic benefits by halting the activity of genes that promote proliferation of fibroblasts in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a next-generation sequencing study suggests. The study “Gene Expression Changes Associated with Nintedanib Treatment in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Fibroblasts: A Next-Generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics…

With each new advance in medicine comes ethical dilemmas, from fertility treatments and newborn screening, to vaccinations, gene therapies and euthanasia. But rare diseases and the expensive therapies needed to treat them — particularly in an age of scarce economic resources — almost always entail “tragic choices,” warned Avraham Steinberg,…