Photo courtesy of Malcolm Mann Day 16 of 30 This is Malcolm Mann’s story: My first inkling that my lungs were under stress was around the year 2000, when I developed a cough while exercising. In those distant days, I was a 50-year-old, slow-ish triathlete, and I…
As a patient living with a chronic illness, I’ve become comfortable with people using clichés to try to comfort me. People naturally want to relate to others, but it’s often hard for someone who’s healthy to understand the experiences of a young adult who requires oxygen to breathe. One cliché…
Photo courtesy of Curt Strickland Day 15 of 30 This is Curt Strickland’s story: I had a double lung transplant 18 months ago, and I am doing very well. Given my good fortune, I wanted to share what I believed helped in both my recovery and the actual transplant…
A large and multi-ethnic database, reported to be the first of its kind for rare lung diseases, is now compiling real-world clinical and imaging data on people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) from centers across the globe. Launched by the Open Source Imaging Consortium (OSIC),…
A newly launched non-profit institute is seeking to advance research, and the development of new therapies, for people with rare diseases — a patient community with some of the largest therapeutic needs, but one that is often left behind. Named the Institute for Life Changing Medicines, the project was…
Photo courtesy of Rhonda Hitchcock Day 14 of 30 This is Rhonda Hitchcock’s story: My husband, Ric, and I sat side by side when he received his IPF diagnosis in November 2017. We had no idea what challenges to expect, so I immediately immersed myself in research. The…
When I was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with dendriform ossification in 2014, it was the second time I had a medical condition with an unknown cause. Three years earlier, I developed blood clots and had two pulmonary embolisms. Again, a reason for them couldn’t be determined. These unknown…
A single dose of the investigational oral therapy PLN-74809 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) achieved therapeutic target engagement of up to 98% in the lungs of patients, according to interim results of a Phase 2a trial. At all doses tested, the anti-fibrotic, or anti-scarring, therapy engaged its intended target…
Photo courtesy of Jerry Barnum Day 13 of 30 This is Jerry Barnum’s story: My name is Jerry Barnum. I am 70 years old and live in Minnesota. In 2017, I was diagnosed with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis with autoimmune features. As one who learned I have a terminal…
Blocking the activity of a cell death-suppressing protein called Bcl-2 promoted the death of macrophages — a type of immune cell involved in pulmonary fibrosis (PF) — and reversed established lung scarring in a mouse model, a study showed. Notably, Bcl-2’s anchoring at the surface of macrophage mitochondria was…
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