Researchers at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, found that CD248 — a surface marker expressed on fibroblast cells in the lung — might also serve as a marker of disease severity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The findings also indicate that CD248 might be a suitable…
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Researchers at the University of Southampton used an advanced, 3-D X-ray imaging technology for a first time on lung tissue samples from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients, gaining a better understanding of how the aggressive lung disease develops in the body. The study, “Three-dimensional characterization of fibroblast foci in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis” was published…
Karos Pharmaceuticals recently announced that its small molecule drug candidate, KAR5585, has advanced in Phase 1 clinical testing. The drug is being developed for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other diseases characterized by extensive fibrosis. KAR5585 received Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of PAH by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…
Japanese researchers reported that treatment with thrombomodulin, an anti-clotting factor naturally produced in the body, reduced mortality in patients experiencing acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The findings also suggested that abnormal blood clotting may contribute to poor outcomes following these flares. Thrombomodulin is a factor crucial for controlling the blood-clotting…
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine researchers demonstrated that the smallpox vaccine may reverse established lung fibrosis in mice. The vaccine changed the reactivity of various types of immune T-cells, suggesting that balancing the actions of these immune players could be crucial in developing immunotherapeutic treatments for lung fibrosis. Scientists have known for some…
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina found that M10, a naturally occurring small peptide, appeared to effectively reduce lung fibrosis in a mouse model of systemic sclerosis, a finding that might lead the way to new treatments for lung fibrosis. Systemic sclerosis can be viewed as the archetypal fibrotic disease,…
Galapagos NV recently announced the launch of an exploratory Phase 2a clinical trial, called FLORA, evaluating the company’s proprietary drug GLPG1690 in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Ofev (nintedanib) are the only approved therapies for the treatment of IPF, and both have been shown…
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) recently announced the launch of the PFF Patient Registry, which will comprise the foundation’s first comprehensive collection of data from pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients across America. The first patient was enrolled last week, kicking off patient enrollment in the registry,…
Antegrin Therapeutics recently announced that it is expanding its current medication portfolio to include anti-fibrosis agents that block proteins known as integrins. The drugs were originally discovered at the Center for World Health & Medicine (CWHM) at Saint Louis University. Antegrin already offers several medications that target conditions characterized by fibrosis, including pulmonary…
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine showed that starving a group of immune cells by inhibiting the activity of the enzyme Arginase-1 impairs the cells’ ability to induce an allergic response. The study, “Arginase 1 is an innate lymphoid-cell-intrinsic metabolic checkpoint controlling type 2 inflammation,” published in the journal…
