Whether Asked or Not, My Helpers Show Up

In times of trouble, I remember the words of Mister Rogers’ mother, who said to always “look for the helpers.” Until recently, that advice comforted me more in theory than in practice. It was easy to look for — and see — my helpers, but I seldom called…

The idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) treatment candidate BBT-877 is safe and well-tolerated in healthy volunteers, and markedly reduced the plasma levels of a lipid molecule involved in inflammation and fibrosis, according to results of a Phase 1 clinical trial. The research, “BBT-877, a potent Autotaxin…

After I received my single-lung transplant in December 2015, I was required to participate in a pulmonary rehabilitation program to build up my strength and lung function. I had a choice of several programs in my immediate area, and through my research, I found the best center for…

As I write this, my legs are elevated and I’m applying ice to my swollen feet in the small cottage I’ve rented on the southeastern side of the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Despite my aching feet, sunburned legs, tired eyes, and sore shoulders, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. I…

Ofev (nintedanib) reduced lung function decline by more than 50% in patients with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), data from a Phase 3 trial show. The findings were presented in a poster at the recent European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress in Madrid, Spain, and simultaneously…

Blade Therapeutics will expand its pipeline in the field of fibrotic diseases with the acquisition of Atxco and its lead candidate PAT-409, which is ready to enter Phase 1 clinical studies. PAT-409 was engineered to specifically inhibit the autotaxin enzyme involved in the production of a fatty molecule called…

Learning to live with a life-threatening, chronic lung disease as a young adult is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by irreversible and progressive scarring of the lungs, known as “fibrosis,” which ultimately diminishes a person’s ability to breathe. While the prognosis of IPF…

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…

When my mom, Holly, was hospitalized to wait for a double-lung transplant, I needed to talk to a survivor. I longed to hear from someone who had been through it and was living, breathing proof that surviving was possible.   About a year before my mom…

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…