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Researchers have found another piece in the molecular puzzle of changes leading to pulmonary fibrosis — a cell signaling factor. It offers scientists a new target for developing lung-scarring treatments. Lung damage leads to the production of a protein that attracts immune cells to the area. Without this signaling, mice…

A factor called Krüpple-like-factor 4, or KLF4, treated lung fibrosis in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by preventing epithelial cells of the lung from moving into a fibrosis-promoting state, researchers in China report, suggesting its potential as an IPF therapy. The study “Krüpple-like-factor 4 Attenuates Lung…

Thyroid hormone, delivered through aerosol inhalation, helped to resolve lung scarring in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to research published in the journal Nature Medicine. The study provides evidence that lung fibrosis is a disease caused — at least partly — by abnormalities in metabolic processes…

An anti-inflammatory agent known as ulinastatin decreases pulmonary fibrosis, and at high doses may protect against lung tissue scarring, a study in rats showed. The research, “Therapeutic effect of ulinastatin on pulmonary fibrosis via downregulation of TGF‑β1, TNF‑α and NF‑κB,” was published in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports.

Veracyte has published new data confirming the analytical validity of its Envisia Genomic Classifier to help diagnose idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Its study, “Analytical performance of Envisia: a genomic classifier for usual interstitial pneumonia,” appeared in the journal BMC Pulmonary Medicine. The 190-gene Envisia Genomic Classifier helps physicians distinguish between IPF and…

In memory of his father, who lived many years with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), Chicago Bears’ Jordan Howard will wear luminous blue-and-green cleats to support the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) when he takes to the field Sunday, Dec. 3. The PFF is chosen by Howard for the second year in…

A team of researchers discovered that a protein called RAGE can fix damage inflicted to DNA molecules, and also repair lung scarring in mice. The study reporting the findings, “Homeostatic nuclear RAGE-ATM interaction is essential for efficient DNA repair,” was published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research.

Radiation targeting the lungs damages alveolar type 2 cells, causing radiation-induced fibrosis — but a factor called Nrf2 is key in helping those cells recover, researchers at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center found. Their study, “Loss of Nrf2 promotes alveolar type 2 cell loss in irradiated, fibrotic…

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently awarded a team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine a $2.1 million, four-year grant to study the mechanisms that cause scar tissue in the lungs and kidneys. The project aims to discover new molecular targets for the…

The first research projects using data from the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Patient Registry are under way, the foundation announced at an international conference in Nashville that bears its name. A record 895 people attended the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Summit Nov. 9-11, where doctors and scientists discussed the latest developments in the field.