Making Decisions with Our Health in Mind

At some point in our lives, we’re all likely to face difficult decisions. They will force us to weigh out all the options, considering not only the pros and cons of each decision, but also the overall impact on our lives. Before I became sick with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF),…

Lack of tissue oxygenation, also known as hypoxia, is involved in the development and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a study has found. The findings of the study, “Dysregulated expression of hypoxia-inducible factors augments myofibroblasts differentiation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” were published in the journal Respiratory Research.

NP-120, Algernon Pharmaceuticals‘ repurposed lead candidate for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), surpassed two other globally approved therapies — Genentech‘s Esbriet (pirfenidone) and Boehringer Ingelheim‘s Ofev (nintedanib) — in reducing lung tissue scarring (fibrosis) in a mouse model of IPF. Current guidelines…

The Assistance Fund, an independent and charitable foundation, announced that it has launched a new copay assistance program to support people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Also known as TAF, the fund provides financial support to patients and families facing high medical out-of-pocket costs by partly covering co-payments, co-insurance,…

It wasn’t until Gordana Loleska’s son David was 14 years old that doctors in their native North Macedonia diagnosed his kidney, vision, and hearing problems as Alport syndrome. Although she had known for years that something was wrong, the news that David would battle a lifelong rare disease devastated…

A signaling molecule called interleukin-25 (IL-25) was found to support lung fibroblast proliferation and promote lung inflammation and fibrosis in mice, a study shows. The findings suggest that blocking IL-25 may prevent many of the hallmark features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), representing a new therapeutic target for this…

A pulmonary rehabilitation program lowers the risk of mortality among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after lung transplant, as well as reduces their need for ventilation support and the time they spend in the intensive care unit after the procedure, a new study reports. The findings of the study,…

Advocacy and discussions about mental health on social media platforms feel very “trendy” at the moment. It’s a good thing — it is vital that we talk about mental health and raise awareness about the need to care for our minds as well as our bodies. As a patient living…

Gli proteins can trigger fibroblast activation and support their role in promoting fibrosis in the lungs in response to damage to the airspaces, a study in mice shows. The study, “Gli signaling pathway modulates fibroblast activation and facilitates scar formation in pulmonary fibrosis,” was published in the journal…

At some point in every person’s life, death becomes part of their story. The unexpected death of a family member or friend is traumatizing. You wake up in a world of grief and confusion, which you must confront and reconcile over and over again. There is no easy way to…