News

A new imaging strategy shows promising results in improving the diagnosis and treatment of people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The study, “Type I collagen-targeted PET probe for pulmonary fibrosis detection and staging in preclinical models,” appeared in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have developed…

Esbriet (pirfenidone) can prolong idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients’ survival, according to a review of clinical trials covering the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic agent. Researchers also said that Esbriet is safe, but does not help every IPF patient. The study, “Role of pirfenidone in the management of pulmonary fibrosis,”…

The France Foundation will be working together with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation to expand its educational resources on major interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). According to a press release provided by the France Foundation to Pulmonary Fibrosis News, the collaboration will provide education…

Among the various ways to conserve your energy throughout the day when you have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, I’ve found the most necessary way for me is to take naps. These help me function throughout my day. They are now absolutely crucial for me when I have an evening social event planned after a…

An antibody that protects against radiation-induced lung fibrosis could improve the treatment of cancers that stem from radiation damage to the lungs, according to a study. The research demonstrated that an antibody against connective tissue growth factor, or CTGF,  prevented pulmonary fibrosis in up to 80 percent of irradiated mice. Those…

Researchers in Finland have identified a protein called AMPK as a possible new target for therapies aimed to treat pulmonary fibrosis and other fibrotic diseases. Their study, “AMPK Negatively Regulates Tensin-Dependent Integrin Activity,” appeared in The Journal of Cell Biology. In human tissues, the space between adjacent cells, called…

Former New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams is partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim to raise awareness of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease his father lived with for many years before his death in 2001. Williams is teaming up with the Breathless campaign (BreathlessIPF.com), which seeks to inform and prompt…

Preclinical data presented by Kadmon showed that the Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK) pathway is a key player in the development of pulmonary fibrosis (PF), supporting the hypothesis that ROCK inhibition has therapeutic potential for the disease. The data was shown in a poster presentation at the 2017 Keystone Symposia on Injury, Inflammation and Fibrosis,…

Using Esbriet (pirfenidone) or Ofev (nintedanib) for a year reduces lung function decline in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, according to a review of nine clinical trials. Esbriet may also improve patients’ survival. But N-acetylcysteine failed to improve lung function or decrease mortality, the comparative study indicated. The article, “…

By discovering how the antifibrotic treatments Ofev (nintedanib) and Esbriet (pirfenidone) work, researchers hope to develop even better drugs to treat pulmonary fibrosis. The new insights into these drugs work was gained by making use of a new cell model of lab-grown cells derived from patients. The study,…