Hastings Foundation Donates $12.5 Million to Lung Disease Research at USC

The Hastings Foundation has donated $12.5 million to the University of Southern California (USC) Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research to help advance research and development of new strategies to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other lung diseases. This second donation follows a previous gift of $7.5 million in 2014,…

Transplantation of stem cells derived from adipose (fat) tissue in an animal model of silica dust-induced pulmonary fibrosis led to remission of the disease, as well as a reduction in inflammation and cell death, a new study shows. The study reporting the findings, “Transplantation of adipose-derived mesenchymal…

Last week, I wrote about the top three things I wish I’d known when first diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. I shared what a difference it would have made to ignore information online about life expectancy, start exercising as soon as possible, and practice breathing exercises. Today, I’m sharing…

I have been lucky that many of my friends, colleagues, and family members have quickly adapted to my new normal since my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis just over two years ago. They are also aware of the need to be sensitive to my diagnosis and declining health,…

Scientists found that a special kind of white blood cell could potentially be stimulated to migrate to the lungs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and help repair fibrosis damage. They showed how this process occurs naturally in mice with lung fibrosis. The study, “TRAIL-Dependent Resolution…

Treatment with plant-derived aloperine reduces the severity of lung injury in a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis, a new Chinese study reports. The research, “Aloperine Protects Mice against Bleomycin-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis by Attenuating Fibroblast Proliferation and Differentiation,” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. Idiopathic PF…

The digital healthcare company patientMpower recently released a new platform called patientMpower for Lung Transplant for patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other conditions who have received a lung transplant. In January, patientMpower was one of three winners of the $1 million IPF Catalyst Challenge, an award given to projects focused on…

For those of us living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), trips to the emergency room (ER) are inevitable. These trips could be due to fighting off a virus that affects our ability to breathe, an exacerbation, or simply a secondary symptom of our disease. Unfortunately, as a…

The rate of decline in lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) before they are treated with Genentech‘s Esbriet (pirfenidone) influences the effects of the medication, researchers have found. Patients classified as rapid progressors, who experience accelerated declines in lung function, benefited more from Esbriet…

I’m coming up on the fourth anniversary of being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. It’s caused me to ponder what I wish I’d known before my diagnosis. Three things are at the top of my list. Ignore information online about life expectancy My disease progressed rapidly because it…