The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to EI-1071, an oral anti-inflammatory that Elixiron Immunotherapeutics is developing for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Orphan drug status is awarded by the FDA to therapies designed to improve medical care for rare disorders —…

Cymerus mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), Cynata Therapeutics’ experimental cell therapy, significantly lowered the levels of pro-inflammatory and pro-scarring molecules in the lungs of a mouse model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the company announced. The “highly potent” therapy also was shown to significantly reduce immune cell infiltration, and the…

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) grown in three-dimension (3D) conditions produce tiny extracellular vesicles (EVs) that do not retain the anti-scarring and anti-inflammatory properties seen when they are derived from MSCs grown in two dimensions (2D), a study shows. These findings, obtained from treating a mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis…

LYT-100 (deupirfenidone), an experimental oral therapy containing a similar active ingredient to Esbriet, was well-tolerated at all tested doses — and did not reach the maximum tolerated dose or MTD — in a Phase 1 trial conducted in healthy volunteers. PureTech Health, which is developing LYT-100 for…

An extract from an earthworm reduced inflammation and fibrosis in the lungs of mice exposed to silica, acting through known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecular pathways. The findings suggest the extract could be explored as a potential drug therapy for silicosis. The study, “Earthworm extract attenuates silica-induced pulmonary…

What is Aromatherapy? Have you heard about essential oils? They aren’t anything new. “Essential oil” is basically a different name for an old standby, aromatherapy. There’s plenty of research behind this aromatic trend that shows it can help to alleviate many health conditions. We’ve uncovered some ways essential oils can help you deal…

Researchers from The Netherlands found that mice producing high levels of protein C which prevents blood coagulation, develop less severe pulmonary fibrosis; and the milder disease course is linked to lower numbers of immune cells in the lung. The study, “High endogenous activated protein C levels attenuates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis,“ published in…

P-Rex1 is a potential novel therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis (PF), according to the results of a new study, “Identification of P-Rex1 as an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrogenic target for pulmonary fibrosis,” published in Scientific Reports. Because little is understood about factors that promote the transition of PF from…

In a new study, researchers reported a novel role for a receptor at the surface of macrophages (specialized cells of the immune system) in lung fibrosis resolution. The study, titled “TRPV4 Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Regulates LPS-Stimulated Macrophage Phagocytosis,” was published in the…