Researchers have identified a variation of the AKAP13 gene that they say increases people’s susceptibility to developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. An article about their discovery, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, is titled “Genetic variants associated with susceptibility to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in people of European ancestry: a genome-wide association study.” Previous…
Researchers Identify Another Gene Variation That Increases Risk of Developing IPF
With the documented success rate and benefits of naturopathic treatment for various chronic illnesses, it is hard for patients not to consider how natural remedies might help with their personal diagnosis. Natural remedies such as the use of essential oils or organic supplements, and those grounded in Chinese medicine such…
The American Lung Association‘s website includes its “Inspire” forum dedicated to pulmonary fibrosis patients and caregivers. The online platform has more than a million members who discuss various topics and share practical advice and emotional support with others. It also allows users to stay up to date on news about research, new…
Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT), a clinical-stage biopharma focused on developing novel therapeutics for blood-based disorders, is discontinuing its GBT440 program for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The decision came after GBT evaluated the results from three studies, including one Phase 1 study and two Phase 2a…
One of the hard, but necessary things that we face as a PF patient is our mortality. I am very aware of my shortened life span, and think about every day. This reality guides how I spend my time, energy, and the decisions I make. It also…
Everyone suffers from stress from time to time but when you have a chronic disease, stress not only adds to your everyday burden but can often exacerbate the symptoms of your condition. While we can’t avoid stress altogether, there are ways that we help ourselves relax more and not let things…
If anyone reading this column resides in southwestern Ontario, you can attest to the abnormally hot temperatures that landed on us toward the end of September. For those of you who can bear the heat and humidity, I do hope you had the chance to go outside, because…
More therapies are now available for the 30 million or so people with rare diseases in the U.S. than ever before, and millions of dollars are being invested in clinical studies that will test new ways of evaluating — and advancing — potential treatments, including the use of natural history…
The diabetes therapy vildagliptin reduces lung scarring after bacteria-related lung damage, according to a study in mice. It does this by preventing endothelial cells that line lung blood vessels from transforming themselves into stem cells — a process lungs use to protect themselves from the bacteria-related attack, known as an…
Results from the RECAP clinical trial, which was conducted over five years, support the long-term safety of Esbriet (pirfenidone) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The study, “An Open-Label Study of the Long-Term Safety of Pirfenidone in Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (RECAP),” was recently published in…
