Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

A protein in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha family, called TRAIL, regulates a signaling cascade that promotes pulmonary fibrosis, researchers report, suggesting this protein opens potential new avenues for treating PF. The study, “TRAIL signals through the ubiquitin ligase MID1 to promote pulmonary fibrosis,” was published in the…

A protein called cadherin-11 (CDH11) ties together macrophages and myofibroblasts in an “eternal hug” in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, promoting a profibrotic environment, a study shows. Therapies that target CDH11 and break the “hug” between the two cell types may help stop this profibrotic process. The…

The tolerability and safety of Ofev (nintedanib) and Esbriet (pirfenidone) treatments in a small group of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in South England were found to be similar to real-world data. The research confirmed the safety of both IPF therapies. The retrospective study, “South-West…

A Phase 1 trial shows that combining Sprycel (dasatinib) with the plant-based flavonoid quercetin improved the physical function of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, patients’ pulmonary function remained unchanged. The study, “Senolytics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Results from a first-in-human, open-label, pilot study” was published…

The nerve injury-induced protein 1 (Ninjurin1, or Ninj1) may contribute to pulmonary fibrosis (PF) by promoting the inflammatory response of immune cells, called macrophages, leading to the activation of lung fibroblasts, a study shows. The study, “Ninjurin1 Plays a Crucial Role in Pulmonary Fibrosis by Promoting Interaction between Macrophages…

Esbriet (pirfenidone) can improve survival rates of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients by 30 percent, a real-world retrospective analysis shows. The study, “Pirfenidone improves survival in IPF: results from a real-life study,” was published in the journal BMC Pulmonary Medicine. Genentech’s Esbriet is an approved…

Pulmonary fibrosis significantly increases the risk of severe pneumonitis (inflammation of lung tissue)  among patients with lung cancer who were treated with Opdivo or Keytruda, a retrospective study suggests. The study “Pre-existing pulmonary fibrosis is a risk factor for anti-PD-1-related pneumonitis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A…

Ofev (nintedanib) shows a similar ability to reduce lung function decline in patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as those with milder disease, according to a real-world clinical study. However, a higher number of patients with advanced IPF stopped Ofev treatment. The study, “Efficacy and…

BML‐111, a potent activator of the natural anti-inflammatory lipoxin A4 receptor, protects lungs from fibrosis by inhibiting fibroblast activation and decreasing the levels of inflammatory signaling molecules, a mouse study shows. The study “BML-111 suppresses TGF-β1-induced lung fibroblast activation in vitro and decreases experimental pulmonary fibrosis in vivo” was…

Pharmaxis’ first small molecule inhibitor of LOXL2 (lysyl oxidase like 2), an enzyme that promotes fibrosis in the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, was found safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers participating in a Phase 1 trial, the company announced. Additionally, treatment with the LOXL2 inhibitor, called…