For as long as I can remember, I have always been passionate about traveling. While this has become more difficult since my idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, I am grateful that it is not impossible. Having to pull an oxygen concentrator behind me wherever I go was not…
Breathing Easier on the Canadian West Coast
Like many of those living with serious chronic diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), Marj Korn depends on nurses to help her through the difficult journey. “They have always been kind and made sure to make me as comfortable as possible,” said the former senior recruitment manager. “I need…
The University of Virginia recently launched the Fibrosis Initiative, a platform intended to support and mobilize researchers to collaborate and conduct studies focused on fibrosis. This program is expected to expand knowledge on fibrosis and lead to potentially groundbreaking discoveries that could open up new therapeutic opportunities. “In many…
Lately, I’ve noticed I’m not thinking through things as well as I used to. It is very hard for me to accept since clear thinking was a strength for me. I was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis four years ago. Here’s what my brain fog looks like. Forgetting information…
A recent discussion in our new Pulmonary Fibrosis News forums was about quiet hobbies that are beneficial for patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). As the forum’s moderator, I shared a post about my own quiet hobbies and asked patients to share some of the relaxing…
Treatment with regulatory T-cells (Tregs), a subset of cells from the immune system, is able to resolve lung fibrosis in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to researchers. Their findings support additional investigation of cell-based therapies to treat IPF in…
At least 800 people representing some 45 countries are soon expected to gather in Austria’s capital city, Vienna, for ECRD 2018, the 9th European Conference on Rare Diseases and Orphan Products. The May 10-12 meeting is sponsored by Eurordis, the Paris-based group that defines itself as a “patient-driven alliance”…
A combined treatment, pirfenidone and rapamycin, worked to prevent fibrosis in lung fibroblasts from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, new research showed, suggesting a possibly more effective way of treating IPF. The study, “Anti-fibrotic effects of pirfenidone and…
Editor’s note: A continuation of Charlene Marshall’s monthly “Gratitude Miniseries.” Unfortunately, April was not my best month. While many good things happened, which I am excited to share below, last month was full of unexpected hardships for both my friends and me. I have a concussion…
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,…
