Next month is the five-year anniversary of when I first heard the words “idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.” I was diagnosed by a pulmonologist at a local respiratory care center, where I’d finally been referred after 13 months of dealing with persistent shortness of breath, dry cough, and fatigue. I try…
My Age Prevents Me From Participating in Clinical Trials
CohBar has chosen CB5138-3 as its lead treatment candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic diseases, based on its promising safety, efficacy, and drug-like properties in preclinical studies. The company is planning to further test this peptide — a small protein fragment — in early studies…
Galecto was advised to stop enrolling and treating patients at high dose and certain ones at low dose in its Phase 2b GALACTIC-1 trial of GB0139, an investigational inhaled therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The recommendation — made by an independent data safety and monitoring board (DSMB) that…
Suppressing MDM4, a mechanosensitive protein produced by myofibroblasts — the main drivers of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) — promoted the death and clearance of myofibroblasts and reversed persistent lung scarring in a mouse model, a study shows. Notably, these benefits were associated with a reduced stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM),…
I have mixed feelings about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. It’s not what you might expect, though. I am not conflicted about whether I should get it. I am not afraid or suspicious of it. I don’t think the vaccine’s fast creation makes it unreliable or unpredictable — merely unprecedented.
Tiny particles, or nanoparticles, coated with a peptide called GSE4 prevented some features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and eased others in a rat model of this disease, scientists report. No harmful effects were associated with the use of these GSE4-loaded nanoparticles in the animals, the team added, suggesting they should…
Spending a month in San Francisco is a good way to get out of your head. Some people come to the mountains, where I live, to clear their minds. I like to go where the action is in the city to fill my head with things besides my…
Exposure to certain work- and environment-related elements may be the cause of some idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) cases, a recent meta-analysis shows. In particular, exposure to pesticides and agricultural work seem to be factors associated with an increased risk of a person developing IPF. Additionally, exposure to metal dust…
Many diseases have their own awareness color — breast cancer is pink, muscular dystrophy is green, and AIDS is red, for example — but what’s the significance of pink, green, blue, and purple lights side-by-side? These are the colors most often used to represent Rare Disease Day. This…
Respiratory viral and bacterial infections are common in people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and might play a role in the development of the disease, a study reported. The study, “The role of viral and bacterial infections in the pathogenesis of IPF: a systematic review and…
