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…
Treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) or Ofev (nintedanib) significantly slowed the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a real-life clinical setting, an Italian study reported. The study, “Pirfenidone and Nintedanib in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Real-life experience in an Italian referral centre” was published in the journal…
Low levels of the homeobox only protein x (HOPX) in lung samples from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients are linked to lung function decline and disease progression, a new study suggests. The study, “Dynamic expression of HOPX in alveolar epithelial cells reflects injury and repair during the…
A gene therapy designed to fight pulmonary fibrosis (PF) by extending the lifespan of lung cells has been found safe and does not cause or increase the risk of cancer in the lungs, despite some concerns to the contrary, a mouse study shows. Earlier this year, a research team at…
A plant-based medicine called quercetin reversed pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model likely by reducing the burden of growth-arrested and fibrosis-promoting cells, called senescent cells, in the animals’ lungs, researchers report. Findings were published in the study, “Quercetin enhances ligand-induced apoptosis in senescent IPF fibroblasts and reduces lung…
The Arizona Biomedical Research Commission awarded a $750,000 grant to researchers at University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine for their innovative, plant-based model system — a “lung” growing on a leaf — to study pulmonary diseases that range from fibrosis to inflammation and infection. The three-year grant was given to Kenneth…
The American Lung Association’s Better Breathers Club is now extending its resources and support network to patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), among others with chronic lung diseases. Getting a PF diagnosis can be overwhelming, as the disease remains without a cure and is characterized by a progressive decline in lung health.
Double lung transplants are linked to significantly higher survival rates than single lung transplants among pulmonary fibrosis patients younger than 70, a retrospective study shows. The study, “Single versus Double Lung Transplantation in Pulmonary Fibrosis: Impact of Age and Pulmonary Hypertension,” was published in the journal The…
A new lung-on-a-chip technology models the mechanical changes that occur in the lungs during idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, possibly allowing for a faster and less expensive screening of potential new anti-fibrotic therapies, a study reports. “Obviously it’s not an entire lung, but the technology can mimic the damaging effects of lung…
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