Like with all chronic illnesses, patients living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a lot to contend with. Although IPF is a progressive and life-threatening lung disease, the physical challenges it presents, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, and cough, are often not the most difficult aspect. At least,…
Choosing Friends Who Support Healthy Habits as an IPF Patient
Photo courtesy of Dana Olson Day 1 of 30 This is Dana Olson’s story: On Aug. 13, 2020, my husband, Kevin, received his life-saving call. He needed to get across the state to St. Louis within 4.5 hours — a donor’s lungs had been found for him! Talk about…
September is Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) Awareness Month, and organizations across the globe are doing their part to bring more public education to the rare lung disease that affects more than 250,000 people in the U.S. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is spearheading the U.S. efforts with its theme…
When I volunteered to coordinate the Pulmonary Fibrosis News initiative “30 Days of PF” alongside fellow columnist Charlene Marshall, I didn’t expect a tremendously emotional experience. I asked my wife, Dana, to write her pulmonary fibrosis (PF) story for this program. She had difficulty covering seven years in 400 words,…
A protein called PDIA3 is overactive in pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and contributes to the disease by driving the production of signaling molecules that promote tissue scarring, a new study shows. The researchers found that blocking PDIA3 activity can lessen such fibrosis, or tissue scarring, in a mouse model of…
TXR-1002 and TXR-1007, two new therapeutic candidates for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from Aria Pharmaceuticals, demonstrated significant efficacy at reducing tissue scarring and good tolerability in a mouse model of the disease. Moreover, Aria said, the new artificial intelligence approach its researchers used in the lab to identify and…
When doctors discuss the costs and benefits of getting a lung transplant, they often talk about the lifelong use of immunosuppressants. These medications can have a wide range of side effects. For example, most people experience at least a few of the many side effects of prednisone, a…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized Blade Therapeutics to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating pharmacological interactions between its investigational medication, cudetaxestat (BLD-0409), and two approved treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The trial will enroll an estimated 86 healthy individuals, who…
The National Alliance for Caregiving, in partnership with Global Genes, has issued a free guidebook, available online, that offers resources and support for caregivers of children with rare diseases. “The Circle of Care Guidebook for Caregivers of Children With Rare and/or Serious Illnesses” was designed…
As we head into the last week of August, summer has been flying by, kids are heading back to school, and fall will soon be upon us. I love the cooler weather that fall brings, as I’ve found it’s been harder to breathe in the heat and humidity of…
