Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

Blocking an enzyme — called 15-PGDH — in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) limited early-stage inflammation and the development of fibrosis in the lungs, aiding the animals’ survival, a study demonstrated.  These findings support further work targeting 15-PGDH as a…

The protective tips of chromosomes, called telomeres, are shorter in men with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) than age-matched peers, and these changes seem to be linked to lower blood levels of the male hormone testosterone, a study reported. Further…

Rates of hospitalization and in-hospital mortality dropped significantly for people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in the U.S. between 2006 and 2016, and hospitalizations were most common in colder months, an analyses of disease trends found. The study, “Trends and…

Treating acute exacerbations with the protein thrombomodulin (ART-123) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients may be associated with short-term survival benefits, a review analysis reports. However, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings, the researchers noted. The study, “Efficacy…

Low levels of a protein called esRAGE, present in the blood and lungs of people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are associated with a poorer prognosis and lower survival rates, a study shows. These findings suggest that esRAGE may be related…

Survival chances for people with an acute exacerbation linked to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are significantly worse than among those experiencing such flares with both IPF and emphysema, an examination of patients’ medical records found. The single-site study, “…

Ofev, an approved treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), may be considered as a monotherapy for patients who also have non‐small cell lung cancer and are unable to tolerate cancer chemotherapy, a case study reported. …

Chronic lung infections caused by a variety of bacteria are a serious complication in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and are particularly risky for those with low oxygen pressure in the blood or high levels of the lung disease biomarker KL-6, a study has found.

Stimulating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), found across the immune system, via a naturally produced chemical protected mice from induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and increased their survival, a study showed. These findings support further research to determine if AhR might…

A large-scale analysis of multiple genome-wide studies has identified three new gene variants — mutations in DNA sequences — associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a study reported. Two of these genetic variants are not directly linked to fibrosis,…