Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

A new molecular probe could aid in studies of pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases, a study reports. The study, “Discovery of a Potent and Selective Covalent Inhibitor and Activity-Based Probe for the Deubiquitylating Enzyme UCHL1, with Antifibrotic Activity,” was published in the Journal of the…

The Open Source Imaging Consortium (OSIC), a nonprofit collaborative group focused on combatting lung diseases, has launched a competition aiming to create artificial intelligence (AI) programs that can help to predict lung function decline in people with pulmonary fibrosis. Called the OSIC Pulmonary Fibrosis…

New preclinical data support MRG-229, an investigative next-generation treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as safe and effective, miRagen reported. “We believe this body of evidence supports further development of MRG-229 as a potentially differentiated approach for the treatment of IPF,” William S. Marshall, PhD, the company’s president and CEO, said in…

Severe fatigue is common among people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and is associated with worse shortness of breath, depression, catastrophizing, and quality of life, a new study suggests. The study, “Severe Fatigue is Highly Prevalent in Patients with IPF or…

Across the world, a fair amount of variation exists in medical practices to diagnose and treat acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), reflecting a lack of evidence-based guidelines, a study based on surveys of pulmonologists reports. The study, “Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: international…

Abnormal buildup of iron in the lungs can cause lung fibrosis (scarring), and targeting this accumulation could be a therapeutic strategy for people with pulmonary fibrosis, a new study suggests. The study, “Critical role for iron accumulation in the pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease,” was published in …

COVID-19 has been reported to cause lung fibrosis in some people, but the type of fibrosis that develops is distinct from what generally occurs in those with interstitial lung disease (ILD), according to a press release issued by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF). COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)…

Engineered models of the lung and trachea replicate the cellular dynamics found in living organisms better than other models used to study these cells in culture, a new study suggests. These engineered artificial lungs and tracheas may be more suitable to study cell-based therapies for lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis,…

Ofev (nintedanib) limits the decline in lung function in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), regardless of the degree of impairment in gas exchange in their lungs, a study suggests. According to the researchers in the study, “these data support the use of [Ofev] in patients with IPF…

Inhaling secretions produced by lung stem cells could be therapeutically beneficial for those with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a preclinical study has suggested. The study, “Inhalation of lung spheroid cell secretome and exosomes promotes lung repair in pulmonary fibrosis,” was published in the journal Nature…