Since being diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in early 2016, I have tried hard not to be angry or ask the rhetorical “Why me?” questions. This isn’t to say I haven’t had moments of weakness when I am upset about being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness as…
I Am Angry at My Body
The protein FoxO3 plays a central role in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to a study reporting that a therapy that scientists are testing for cancer could rein in the protein. One of the hallmarks of IPF is overproduction of cells known as fibroblasts and myofibroblasts that alter the structure of lungs, worsening…
Throughout 2017, Pulmonary Fibrosis News Today reported daily discoveries, therapeutic developments, and events related to pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we review the top 10 most-read articles of 2017, with a brief description of what made them interesting and relevant to PF patients, family members, and caregivers. No. 10 – Esbriet’s Efficacy…
If you have read my previous columns or other columns written by patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), you likely are aware that physical and mental fatigue is a major side effect of this disease. In my previous columns, I discussed how difficult it has been transitioning from…
For a patient with a life-threatening illness, there is nothing more difficult than asking others to help them with a task that they were once able to do independently. Having to do this highlights the fact that as a chronic illness progresses, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a patient’s physical abilities often regress.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease for which there is no cure. This means that a patient’s ability to function and complete daily tasks will change dramatically. Unfortunately, this may affect their career choice and eventually, it can affect the patient’s ability to work at all.
A cancer drug in clinical development might be used to treat pulmonary fibrosis (PF), or as a starting point to develop better antifibrotic treatments, German researchers suggest. Their study, “FoxO3 an important player in fibrogenesis and therapeutic target for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” appeared in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. In it,…
Chest pain may be a neglected symptom of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), finds a Finnish study that also suggests using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea (shortness of breath) scale to identify IPF patients needing palliative care. The study, “mMRC dyspnoea scale indicates impaired quality…
With the holiday season in full swing, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a look back at 2017. It’s been a year full of ups and downs, and while there were definitely quite a few low moments, there were certainly quite a few highs. To celebrate the year that was,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug status to Prometic Life Sciences’ Ryplazim (plasminogen) as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Fewer than 200,000 Americans have IPF, which makes it eligible for orphan status. The designation gives companies incentives to develop drugs for the small markets typical…
