Two federal grants totaling $6.1 million were awarded to Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to investigate the molecular origin of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), as well as of other forms of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The first is a $3.5-million five-year…
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The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has opened a new registration cycle for medical centers that wish to join the Foundation’s Care Center Network, with the mission of improving the healthcare quality for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The PFF started the Care Center Network together with the PF…
Note: This is the first article of a three-part series written in collaboration with respiratory therapist Mark W. Mangus Sr., RRT, RPFT, FAARC, and oxygen expert Ryan Diesem. One of the more hotly debated topics in the treatment of respiratory disease is supplemental oxygen use. Participants in the debate often…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy designation to PRM-151, a compound being investigated for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). PRM-151 is a recombinant (lab-made) version of the protein pentraxin-2. This protein acts on immune cells called macrophages; it can activate these cells to…
A post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 RECAP trial shows that long-term treatment with Esbriet (pirfenidone) is safe and similarly effective in patients with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as in those with less advanced disease. The study, “Effect of pirfenidone in patients with more advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,”…
High levels of PD-L1 protein were found in the most aggressive fibroblasts that drive idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) progression, making the protein — whose levels are increased in cancer cells to shield a tumor from the immune system — a potential new therapeutic target, a study suggests. The study, “…
This year’s edition of Broadway Belts For PFF! — a benefit event for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) — raised a record $400,000 to help fund pulmonary fibrosis (PF) research and patient programs. The evening of music, comedy, and performances at New York’s Edison Ballroom was hosted by Broadway…
Saracatinib (AZD0530), an investigational oral therapy under development by AstraZeneca, was granted Orphan Drug Designation as a potential treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by the U.S. Food and Drug…
Exposure to dust in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks increased the risk of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) among responders, according to an evaluation of self-reported surveys. Researchers found that higher levels of dust exposure were associated with increased PF incidence. The study, “Pulmonary Fibrosis among World Trade…
Exposure to silica dust may trigger pulmonary fibrosis (PF) because silica particles block a self-cleansing process used by cells, termed autophagy, which drives cell death in the lungs, a study using both human cells and mice showed. Researchers say the findings may improve…
