News

New Docuseries Highlights Efforts to Advance Care for Lung Diseases

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) has premiered a docuseries called “Helping the World to Breathe,” showcasing the society’s commitment to advancing care for people with lung diseases. Over 16 episodes, the series highlights stories from clinicians, researchers, and patients collaborating to advance care. For example, scientists and patients at…

NIH Funds Research Into Immune Mechanisms to Reverse Fibrosis

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a grant to support research into immune mechanisms that could allow for the reversal of fibrosis, or tissue scarring, in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The $469,034 award went to Narendiran Rajasekaran, PhD, and Archana Varadaraj, PhD, both of whom are assistant…

New Robust 3D Microtissue Model May Better Screen IPF Therapies

Scientists have developed a new lab-grown three-dimension (3D) microtissue model that replicates the key features of the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) microenvironment better than other cellular and animal models, and that enables more robust screening of potential therapies. When the model was generated using lung cells collected from IPF…

Reviva to Seek Clearance for Phase 2 Trials of Brilaroxazine

Reviva Pharmaceuticals is planning to seek the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) permission to begin Phase 2 clinical trials testing its investigational therapy brilaroxazine in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). “We … expect to begin regulatory submissions to the FDA…

Pressure-Treated Yeast Fiber Compounds May Benefit IPF Patients

An inhalable therapeutic is being developed using pressure-treated yeast beta-glucan for people with COVID-19 as well as other severe lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Beta-glucans are fiber compounds that are naturally found in the cell walls of grains, bacteria, and fungi, such as yeast. Ceapro, a biotechnology…

High-flow Nasal Cannula Oxygen Increased Exercise Tolerance

High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) increases exercise tolerance — improving endurance times and reducing leg fatigue — in adults with stable idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) having exercise-induced low blood oxygen levels, according to a small trial in Japan. Notably, HFNC’s benefits were superior to those of standard oxygen therapy,…