Blocking the activity of interleukin-11 (IL-11) — a molecule that mediates immune and inflammatory responses — reverses tissue scarring, or fibrosis, in the lungs of mice with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study has found. The findings of the study, “Interleukin-11 is a therapeutic target in idiopathic…
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Different combinations of medications to manage comorbidities (additional conditions) may influence disease progression in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study suggests. The study, “Concomitant Medications and Clinical Outcomes in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis,” was published in the European Respiratory Journal. IPF is a complex…
Next month’s annual conference of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in Washington, D.C., couldn’t come at a better time, says Marshall Summar, MD, chairman of NORD’s board of directors. “The pace of discovery in rare diseases has gone from brisk to hypersonic,” Summar told Bionews Services, publisher…
A small RNA molecule called miR-133a can prevent tissue scarring (fibrosis) in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by interfering with a pro-fibrotic signaling pathway that is involved in disease progression, a study says. The findings of the study, “Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-induced miR-133a inhibits myofibroblast differentiation…
Weight loss is more common among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who are being treated with Ofev (nintedanib), and also among those at advanced stages of the disease. A study with that finding, “Choice of antifibrotic medication and disease severity predict weight loss in idiopathic pulmonary…
A mutation in the gene ZCCHC8 leads to abnormalities in the structure of telomeres, the protective caps at the end of the DNA, leading to the development of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a new study shows. The study, titled “ZCCHC8, the nuclear exosome targeting component, is…
Citryll and Lonza have teamed up to develop Citryll’s candidate antibody, called CIT-013, as a therapy for inflammatory diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and rheumatoid arthritis, the companies announced. CIT-013 is designed to inhibit the formation of web-like structures known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs),…
Simultaneous inhibition of two signaling pathways mediated by TGF-beta1 and periostin can halt progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in mice, a new study reveals. The study, “The Cross-Talk Between TGF-β and Periostin Can Be Targeted for Pulmonary Fibrosis,” was published in…
Nitric oxide, a gas that induces the relaxation and widening of lung airways, has received orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The gas will be delivered in pulses through Bellerophon Therapeutics’ patented…
Genetic screening that can identify variants of the mucin-causing MUC5B gene — the key risk factor that predisposes people for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) — may hold the key to the development and administration of targeted therapies that may prevent the disease before it can progress…
