After writing last week about the loss of my friend, I realized that it was her birthday. That very day, she would have turned 30. I don’t believe in coincidences. I think things happen at certain times for a reason. Donate Life Month inspired me…
Organ Donation Creates a Living Legacy, but We All Leave a Mark
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have shorter survival times after an acute exacerbation than do those with other interstitial lung diseases (ILD), often dying within a few months of such flares, a study from Finland reports. Pulmonary fibrosis, or lung scarring, was the most common underlying cause of death…
It’s fair to say that none of us really know how to navigate our days during this COVID-19 pandemic. I have never lived through anything quite like this, and would guess that many of you haven’t either. The days are long with a lack of routine and structure, and…
Across the world, a fair amount of variation exists in medical practices to diagnose and treat acute exacerbations of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), reflecting a lack of evidence-based guidelines, a study based on surveys of pulmonologists reports. The study, “Acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: international…
Abnormal buildup of iron in the lungs can cause lung fibrosis (scarring), and targeting this accumulation could be a therapeutic strategy for people with pulmonary fibrosis, a new study suggests. The study, “Critical role for iron accumulation in the pathogenesis of fibrotic lung disease,” was published in …
Nogra Pharma’s experimental therapy GED-0507 limited body weight loss and the extension of lung scarring (fibrosis) — to a similar or greater extent than two approved anti-fibrotic therapies used as comparators — in mice with induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study reported. These findings suggest that GED-0507 may be a therapeutic option for…
April is Donate Life Month. I have struggled to think of something new to say about organ donation. Everything I’ve written for Pulmonary Fibrosis News has been inspired by, or is in response to, organ donation. I’ve talked about both pre- and post-transplant challenges, caregiver struggles, grief, celebration, and…
In very rare cases, a tuberculosis infection in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and lung cancer may help activate the immune system and induce a spontaneous cancer remission, a case report suggests. While the patient in the study achieved complete cancer regression after treatment with standard first-line…
When I was growing up, my mom used to say, “Charlene, there is something to be said about routine!” Usually she was referring to my sleeping habits: I would stay up far too late and then be tired the next day. She always told me that if I got into…
COVID-19 has been reported to cause lung fibrosis in some people, but the type of fibrosis that develops is distinct from what generally occurs in those with interstitial lung disease (ILD), according to a press release issued by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF). COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)…
