News Commentary In the absence of conclusive scientific data about the outcomes of stem cell therapy in people with serious and chronic diseases — from multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s to pulmonary fibrosis — the hundreds of clinics offering these therapies across the U.S., and the thousands worldwide, rely mainly on…
Musicians who play wind instruments are being warned of a potential hazard doctors have dubbed “bagpipe lung” — after a case study was published of a man who died of a lung condition known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, thought to have been caused by the mold and fungi that thrived in the moist interior of a…
Boehringer Ingelheim recently held a second regional respiratory conference concerning the latest medical and scientific insights on the treatment and management of respiratory diseases — namely, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. These conditions represent a major public health problem in developing countries, due to their high incidence, and their…
Physical inactivity and low blood-oxygen levels during periods of exercise predict poor survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to researchers at the Rabin Medical Center in Israel. The study, “Physical Activity and Exertional Desaturation Are Associated with Mortality in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis,” published in the Journal of…
Researchers are one step closer to understanding the molecular mechanism of action of pirfenidone, the anti fibrotic drug for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. This may help improve the safety and efficacy of the drug, which is often used in very high doses to achieve therapeutic effectiveness, causing a range of adverse side effects.
The Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI) and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals are expanding the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – PROspective Outcomes (IPF-PRO) Registry, an academic-industry alliance between the two to better understand outcomes and disease progression in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare lung disease. The expansion will…
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) an $11 million project renewal grant to investigate the genetics and biological processes that contribute to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). IPF has been a focus of study for Dr. Timothy Blackwell, a professor at the Ralph…
DS Biopharma, a privately held Dublin-based company with a proprietary bioactive lipid technology platform, has launched Afimmune, a spin-off focused on approaches to treating fibrosis and fibrotic conditions. These includenon-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and atopic dermatitis, as well as other inflammatory and pulmonary disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and…
Metformin, a first line medication for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, reduces inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis in mice, suggests a study published in the Journal of Korean Medical Science.
Researchers at the Chinese Nanjing University School of Medicine in China discovered yet another microRNA that contributes to the development of lung fibrosis. MicroRNA are small molecules known to control gene activity. The study, “MiR-338* suppresses fibrotic pathogenesis in pulmonary fibrosis through targeting LPA1,” published in the…
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