Treatment with inhalable bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) — a soluble signaling molecule involved in the regulation of cellular identity — restored lung regeneration and improved lung function in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The data showed that scar-forming cells in IPF lungs suppress BMP signaling…
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People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who have three or more abnormally large lymph nodes in the area of the lungs and heart — a condition known as mediastinal lymph node enlargement (LNE) — have an increased risk of mortality and faster disease progression, a study found. The…
Esbriet (pirfenidone), an approved treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), seems to be safe in IPF patients who also have non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) when combined with cancer therapy. The finding is detailed in the study, “Safety and effectiveness of pirfenidone combined with carboplatin‐based chemotherapy in patients…
Continuous hemoperfusion, a technique used to filter toxins from blood, was effective in improving the survival rates of people with acute poisoning due to paraquat, an herbicide used in lawn care. The technique may have implications for the treatment of patients with paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a…
Same But Different, a nonprofit U.K. group that uses art for social change, is inviting people to choose their favorite photographs in a calendar contest to heighten awareness of rare diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The organization’s panel of judges has pared the number of contest submissions…
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients showing a lesser decline in lung function after antifibrotic treatment, especially with Ofev (nintedanib), live significantly longer, according to a study in Japan. Such decline prior to antifibrotic therapy and changes in its rate with treatment did not predict survival outcomes, the researchers noted,…
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) Research Program and 4DMedical are offering three one-year, $50,000 grants for research into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma. “These three grants are a welcome addition to the ATS Research Program,” said MeiLan Han, MD,…
Newly raised equity financing will advance Galecto‘s clinical pipeline, which includes GB0139, a potential inhalation treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Funds raised — totaling $64 million — will be used by the company to prepare for the potential approval of GB0139 in Europe, and to support new…
A protein called TL1A drives fibrosis in diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), asthma, and systemic sclerosis by interacting with a receptor called DR3, a study reports. Disrupting this interaction might prevent the formation of fibrotic tissue. These findings are described in the study “TL1A…
Boehringer Ingelheim Canada and the University Hospital Foundation (UHF) established the Alberta Boehringer Ingelheim Interstitial Lung Disease (ABILD), a new partnership with a focus on progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILDs comprise more than 200 respiratory diseases known to cause breathing difficulties. About 18% to 32% of…
