Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Investigational SM04646 inhibits expression of TGF-beta-stimulated genes known to promote lung fibrosis, a new study shows. The results will be presented in a poster titled “SM04646 Inhibited Wnt Pathway Gene Expression Stimulated in Response to Transforming Growth Factor-beta and was Effective in a Chronic Model of Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary…

The FOXM1 gene is a driver of lung fibroblast proliferation and activation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a new study shows. The findings highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting FOXM1 for pulmonary fibrosis treatment. The study “FOXM1 is a critical driver of lung fibroblast activation and fibrogenesis” was published in…

The Hastings Foundation has donated $12.5 million to the University of Southern California (USC) Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research to help advance research and development of new strategies to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other lung diseases. This second donation follows a previous gift of $7.5 million in 2014,…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may share a common disease mechanism — degradation of elastin in the lungs — suggesting its potential as a biomarker for both diseases, research shows. The study, “Increased circulating desmosine and age-dependent elastinolysis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,”…

Cells’ attempts to limit fibroblast proliferation by lowering the levels of a protein called clusterin in lung fibroblasts of pulmonary fibrosis patients were found to be an insufficient strategy against fibrosis development in a recent study. Researchers, in fact, observed that decreasing clusterin leads to a deposition of extracellular…

Researchers identified a small group of genes that may promote idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) after analyzing gene expression profiles in fibroblasts isolated from the lungs of patients with the disease. The study, “Global Gene Expression Analysis in an in vitro Fibroblast Model of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Reveals Potential Role…

Dentists and other dental healthcare personnel could be at risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at work, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. An article about the danger appeared in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. It was titled “Dental Personnel Treated for Idiopathic…

Cells present in the outer rims of small blood vessels in the lung, called pericytes, convert from a healthy state into a fibrotic one, promoting the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, new findings suggest. The discovery shows how pericytes respond to the microenvironment in the lungs, especially the mechanical changes in…

Looking at pulmonary fibrosis (PF) as an age-related disease and working with a gene therapy that lengthens the life of lung cells, researchers report that they were able to lessen — and even stop — lung fibrosis in mice. “This is the first time that pulmonary fibrosis has been treated as an age-related disease, looking for rejuvenating the affected tissues,” Maria A. Blasco, study's lead author and group leader at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), in Madrid, said in a press release. The study “Therapeutic effects of telomerase in mice with pulmonary fibrosis induced by damage to the lungs and short telomeres” was published in the journal eLife.

Advanced Interactive Response Systems (AIRS), Owlstone Medical and patientMpower are the three winners of the $1 million IPF Catalyst Challenge presented by Three Lakes Partners, a philanthropy organization financing research of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The three winners will receive $333,333 each to develop their projects. Level Ex received the competition’s Audience…