Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Immune cells can sense the mechanical forces at work in the lungs via a gate called PIEZO1, and deleting this gene in immune cells led to worse lung infections, researchers report. But its loss eased the inflammation associated with lung scarring in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis. Their study…

Impaired autophagy — cells’ self-cleansing process — in the lungs’ epithelial cells may activate their epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process crucial to the progression of fibrosis, according to a new study. The finding  suggests that therapies targeting EMT may help halt fibrosis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study, “…

The mortality rate due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) increased from 1979 to 2016 in the United Kingdom, a retrospective analysis shows. Researchers estimate that death due to IPF is close to 7% annually among respiratory diseases, pointing to approximately 5,500 people dying from the disease in the U.K.

A new clinical model for terminal idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that allows patients to receive treatment at home has increased patient satisfaction, decreased hospital deaths, led to better symptom management, and lowered healthcare costs. Those outcomes of this new clinical model were published recently in the journal NEJM…

Increased activity of certain matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), enzymes that regulate cell behavior, may explain the risk for developing aggressive pulmonary fibrosis in people with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a rare genetic disorder, according to new research. The study highlights MMP-2 and MMP-9. The findings suggest that these unique…

Patients older than 75 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are at higher risk of discontinuing treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) due to adverse reactions, namely anorexia, according to a retrospective analysis made in Japan. The study, “Differences in tolerability of pirfenidone between elderly and younger patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,”…

Gilead Sciences gained rights over GLPG1690, Galapagos‘ investigational therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as part of a 10-year research collaboration between the two companies. The agreement will allow Gilead to have access to Galapagos’ therapeutic platform, which includes six molecules currently in clinical trials, and more than…

Genetic variants of the MUC5AC gene may contribute to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study suggests. The study, “Novel idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis susceptibility variants revealed by deep sequencing,” was published in the journal ERJ Open Research. The existence of a genetic cause underlying…

Treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) slows the worsening of breathlessness in patients with more severe idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a post-hoc analysis of the ASCEND and CAPACITY trials shows. The study, “Effect of pirfenidone on breathlessness in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” was published in the European…

Increased levels of specific proteins found in blood, namely C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and total cholesterol, may predict the risk of mortality after acute exacerbation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, according to a retrospective study performed in Japan. The study, “Possible Serological Markers to Predict…