Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified a new gene that, when mutated, increases the risk for pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema by reducing the activity of telomerase, the enzyme that maintains the protective caps, or telomeres, on chromosomes. The study, “Loss-of-function mutations in the RNA biogenesis factor…
Humanetics of Minneapolis was awarded a federal grant to continue developing its proprietary BIO 300 radiation modulator to treat delayed effects of acute radiation exposure in the lungs. The $597,000 grant from the the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will cover two years of research in a collaborative effort…
A collaborative research effort identified new pathways involved in fibrosis using a software tool known as “Regeneration Intelligence,” which evaluated perturbations in several signaling pathways in lung and liver fibrosis, and in glaucoma. The research, leading to two studies, was conducted by Insilico Medicine working with scientists at Atlas Regeneration, Vision Genomics, and Howard University. The…
FibroStatin recently announced the development of a therapeutic agent against lung fibrosis called T12, building on the entirely new concept of blocking the transition of blood vessel endothelial cells to the more aggressive mesenchymal cells that contribute to fibrosis. This so-called endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial during processes such as wound…
Adding Recomodulin (thrombomodulin) to the standard treatment given for an acute exacerbation of lung fibrosis more than doubled patients’ chances to survive, according to new research from Chiba University in Japan. The study, “Efficacy of Recomodulin for acute exacerbation of IPF and nonspecific interstitial pneumonia: a nonrandomized prospective…
A new study from researchers in London, looking at a specific enzyme called TPL-2, could aid in the understanding of how lung fibrosis develops. The research report, “TPL-2 Regulates Macrophage Lipid Metabolism and M2 Differentiation to Control TH2-Mediated Immunopathology,” appeared in the journal PLoS. Lung scarring is the key…
Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may benefit from Esbriet (pirfenidone) treatment regardless of their disease stage and baseline lung function, according to a study by researchers at the University of Turin, in Italy, and colleagues. The study, “Efficacy of pirfenidone in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with…
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals recently began a clinical trial to assess the effect of Ofev (nintedanib) on specific blood biomarkers that may identify greater fibrosis and loss of lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Biomarkers are measurable indicators of some biological state or condition that help predict disease…
The U.S. Department of Defense granted $11.5 million to researchers at National Jewish Health, one of the leading respiratory hospitals in the country, for two research projects investigating lung disease including pulmonary fibrosis in warfighters deployed to Southwest Asia.
MediciNova received a notice of allowance for a new patent covering MN-001 (tipelukast) and MN-002 (a major metabolite of MN-001) for the treatment of fibrosis,  broadly defined as wide-ranging fibrosis or fibrotic diseases, affecting different organs and due to different etiologies, including pulmonary fibrosis. Once issued by the U.S. Patent and…
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