Last Week’s Hot Topic on Pulmonary Fibrosis

Last week’s hot topic on pulmonary fibrosis was Traditional Chinese Medicine Eased Inflammation, Fibrosis in Animal PF Model written by Magdalena Kegel.

This articles focus on a study from the University of Madras, India, which showed that celastrol — a component of an extract from the Thunder God Vine root — was able to reduce inflammation, collagen deposition, and alveolar damage in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The effects were likely the result of a broad activation of antioxidant and antifibrotic activities.

The authors argued that the increase in Nrf2 signaling is likely the source of the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of celastrol, but they are only now performing studies to demonstrate the mechanisms behind celastrol’s effects. Still, considering the broad beneficial outcomes in this widely used lung fibrosis model, celastrol is a promising agent to explore for the development of new PF treatments.

Read more about pulmonary fibrosis: http://bit.ly/1lfMsiZ