The Microbiome Therapeutics Innovation Group (MTIG), a coalition of companies working to develop U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-microbiome-based therapies, announced the addition of Alveolus Bio to its group. Alveolus has more than a decade of research into neutrophilic inflammation — an asthmatic inflammation driven by specific white…
Last week, I wrote a column about needing to slow down as a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Since its publication, I have spent a lot of time strategizing about how to do that. I am often guilty of saying I need to do something but neglecting…
Alterations in lactic acid metabolism — part of the process that allows the body to produce energy in the absence of oxygen — were found in lung tissues collected from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a recent study reported. These findings suggest that lactic acid metabolism may be…
Today’s inspiration comes from a brainstorming session I had with fellow columnists. Speaking with other people who live with rare diseases made me think about what I wanted to express in my column. I realized I feel a lot of guilt, for several reasons. Watching others struggle with PF…
High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) increases exercise tolerance — improving endurance times and reducing leg fatigue — in adults with stable idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) having exercise-induced low blood oxygen levels, according to a small trial in Japan. Notably, HFNC’s benefits were superior to those of standard oxygen therapy,…
A signaling molecule called interleukin 35 (IL-35) is at unusually high levels in lung tissues from mice and in people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and seems to play a role in slowing disease progression, a study found. These findings indicate that IL-35 might be a new therapeutic target for…
People with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) had the same mortality and hospitalization rates, and incurred similar healthcare costs, whether they were treated with Esbriet (pirfenidone) or Ofev (nintedanib), a German insurance claims analysis showed. However, the analysis — conducted over five years and involving more than 1,000 patients…
I’ve always been guilty of putting too much pressure on myself. While I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) five years ago, I still haven’t learned how to slow down and avoid putting so much pressure on myself. This is despite the disease causing me extreme fatigue, breathlessness,…
The biotech startup ResBiotic has created a lung disease-focused pharmaceutical spin-off — Alveolus Bio — and launched its first probiotic-based consumer health product called resB Lung Support. The parent company, based in Birmingham, Alabama, and its subsidiary are using $4.5 million in seed funding “to transform the respiratory care landscape…
Vitamin D lessenened lung scarring (fibrosis) in a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) by suppressing the activity of the PSAT1 enzyme, and subsequently the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, a study shows. PSAT1 is an enzyme that links metabolic and amino acid production pathways. The MAPK pathway is…
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