Welcome to my new column, “Make Every Breath Count.” Before I started writing it, I thought about what readers might want to know about me and why I’m writing this column. What details would make them want to continue reading? It all started with a cough. In the fall of…
My IPF Journey Has Taught Me to ‘Make Every Breath Count’
An autoantibody reduction regimen that combines three treatments improved lung function and survival in adults with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) who are experiencing acute symptom worsening, a small study suggests. Early, positive clinical responses predicted better long-term outcomes, and high levels of autoantibodies against epithelial markers before treatment were…
AdAlta announced that AD-214, its candidate treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), has been successfully made into an aerosol for inhalation — a nebulized form — while retaining the molecular properties that supported its potential effectiveness in preclinical studies. “The results of these studies support AD-214 being delivered by…
The holidays can be a time of joy and celebration, magic and wonder, traditions and new beginnings — but also grief and pain. These things can exist all at once, but it can be hard to admit that you’re feeling heavy when you’re expected to be light and…
Some people with so-called “long COVID” — breathlessness and other respiratory symptoms that persist long after the acute phase of COVID-19 infection — may have had undiagnosed pulmonary fibrosis before they contracted the infection. Scientists at University of Michigan Health reported these findings in the study, “…
Pulmonary rehabilitation is as effective a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) as it is for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a real-world study found. “Patients with IPF have similar completion rates and magnitude of response to pulmonary rehabilitation [to patients with COPD],” its scientists wrote. “These data reinforce the…
Most of us crave intimacy. Not only on a physical level, but more importantly on an emotional, intellectual, experiential, and spiritual level. I am a very emotional person; it’s easy to see in my writing. I wear my heart on my sleeve. My mother always said I was the…
The levels of a cancer-suppressing molecule called microRNA-326 (miR-326) are reduced significantly in the lungs of a mouse model of silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a study shows. Increasing the levels of miR-326 in these mice lessened lung scarring (fibrosis) and suppressed the production of pro-fibrotic molecules, highlighting miR-326 as a…
The first healthy volunteer has been dosed in a trial evaluating ISM001-055, Insilico Medicine’s artificial intelligence (AI)-discovered therapy candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). “We are very pleased to see Insilico Medicine’s first antifibrotic [treatment] candidate entering into the clinic,” Feng Ren, PhD, Insilico’s chief strategy officer, said…
The holidays are complicated. And getting in the holiday spirit with a chronic illness, in the dead of winter, in the middle of a pandemic, can be, well, challenging. If you are struggling to feel the magic this season, that’s OK. If you’re too exhausted or too sad to…
