Blocking Innate Immunity Protein May Treat Select PF Patients, Study Suggests

Targeting a key protein of the innate immune system called TLR4 could be a new way of treating people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and other fibrotic disorders, according to a Northwestern University study. The study, “TLR4-dependent fibroblast activation drives persistent organ fibrosis in skin and lung,” was published…

Natural Variations in Genes May Increase PF Susceptibility in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

Natural gene variants, called polymorphisms, may explain why some patients with systemic sclerosis also develop pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The study, “The status of pulmonary fibrosis in systemic sclerosis is associated with IRF5, STAT4, IRAK1, and CTGF polymorphisms,” appeared in the journal Rheumatology International. PF is one of the leading…