Rare Group of T-Cells Trigger and Sustain Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice, Study Finds

A rare form of immune T-cells promotes chronic inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine found. Their discovery, made in a mice model of the disease, may lead to a new therapeutic target for lung fibrosis. The research report, “Deletion of mTORC1 activity in CD4+ T cells…

In this Boehringer Ingelheim Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis video shared in September 2014, Professor Ulrich Costabel from the Department of Pneumology and Allergology at the Ruhrlandklinik in Essen, Germany, discusses the causes of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Find out more about personalized care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients here.  Professor…

Pulmonary fibrosis is a rare lung condition where tissue in the lungs becomes scarred and stiff, which can lead to difficulties in breathing, a persistent cough, fatigue and weight loss. Often the cause is due to environmental factors or other health complications such as scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis, but…

Statins provide beneficial effects, including decreased death risk, in a large and well-defined cohort of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to an analysis of past studies. Findings were reported in the article “Effect of statins on disease-related outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,” recently published in…

It’s that time of year when everyone starts to get sick and pass around their cold and flu germs. Having a chronic illness means that your immune system is already compromised, which makes picking up other people’s winter illnesses harder to avoid. However, you don’t have to lock yourself away…

Diagnosing pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is complicated because symptoms may mirror those of other lung disorders such as asthma, pulmonary hypertension or chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD). Because of this, six different diagnostic tools are needed for an accurate diagnosis of PF, according to the American Lung Association.

Blocking a specific molecular target — 4-1BB — reduced crystalline silica-induced lung inflammation and, consequently, pulmonary fibrosis in animal models, researchers reported. Inhaled crystalline silica is the main cause of silicosis, a condition characterized by chronic lung inflammation, and progressive and irreversible lung fibrosis. But the exact mechanisms by which crystalline silica…

Reflexology for Symptoms Have you considered reflexology for symptoms associated with pulmonary fibrosis? Reflexology is an ancient practice that’s been passed down for thousands of years. The Incas and Native Americans may have introduced reflexology to South and North America, but proof of the practice dates back to 3000 BC in pre-dynastic…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease that causes the lung tissue to become thick and stiff, making breathing extremely difficult. Currently, there is no known cause or cure for the condition. Intent on finding a cure, doctors and scientists are working non-stop to find out what causes the disease.

Although the immune system works to fight pathological agents that invade the body, preventing disease, certain immune cells respond in ways that can grievously aggravate health conditions. A prime example is a damaging immune response that causes pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in people infected with the Paracoccidiodes fungi, according to a study published in the journal PLoS One.