- A bacterial protein fragment kills lung cells in pulmonary fibrosis. Learn more.1, 2
- 31% of first degree relatives of patients with pulmonary fibrosis had interstitial lung abnormalities on CT. Learn more.3
- Investigators concluded that “first-degree relatives of patients with both familial and sporadic [nonfamilial] IPF appear to be at similar risk [for undiagnosed interstitial lung disease (ILD)].” Learn more.4
- The incidence of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) doubled over the decade, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Learn more.5
- The CDC identified a statistically significant cluster of IPF patients diagnosed at a Virginia medical center. Learn more.6
- An estimated 50,000 people die from IPF in the U.S. each year, more deaths than most cancers including breast cancer. See source study7 and cancer statistics.8 This statistic does not include the high percentage of people who are never diagnosed. See graphic below. Experts agree that we don’t know the extent of deaths and that more research is needed.
Estimated percentage of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients in each severity who remain undiagnosed across the US, Japan, and five major EU markets.
Source: Datamonitor Healthcare’s proprietary idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis survey, July 2015
“If micro-organisms are triggering and/or sustaining the disease and we are able to figure this out, then a cure should be in sight.”
– Dr. Jerry Eu, Former Director,
Immunology/Fibrosis at the NIH (2016)
%
Mortality Rate without a lung transplant
%
Die within 5 Years of Diagnosis
%
Die within 2 Years of Diagnosis
%
Percentage IPF is initially misdiagnosed
%
Percentage of Commercially Available Diagnostic Tests
The IPF Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization founded with the mission to accelerate cures for IPF. We are here with a singular purpose — to support medical research to discover treatments and cures for pulmonary fibrosis.
What is IPF?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and generally fatal disease characterized by scarring of the lungs that thickens the lining of the lungs, causing an irreversible loss of the tissue’s ability to transport oxygen. IPF ultimately robs a patient of the ability to breathe.
Strong connection found between IPF patient mouth and lower airway micro-biomes compared to control or COPD patients
A new study from the University of Bergen shows that patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have a different composition of microbes in the lower airways than healthy controls and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Key takeaways from the study:
- “The flora of the oral cavity is one of the sources of the microbiome in the lower airways. … This may indicate that micro aspiration is one of the causes of the disturbed microbiome seen in IPF, as the study shows.”
- “The unique thing about our study is that we have measured both the oral cavity and the lower airways at the same time in the same patients. So now we can more safely say that the connection is quite strong…”
Could a green tea extract reverse fibrosis?
UC-SF pilot study may provide an ethical basis for a long term clinical trial according to the New England Journal of Medicine. Learn more.9
References:
1. Touchstone, L.A. (2020, March 24). Bacterial protein fragment kills lung cells in pulmonary fibrosis, study finds. News Bureau I ILLINOIS. https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/807422.
2. D’Alessandro-Gabazza, C.N., Kobayashi, T. , Yasuma, T. et al. “A Staphylococcus pro-apoptotic peptide induces acute exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis. ” Nature Communications, vol. 1 1, no. 1, 2020 page 1539. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15344-3.
3. Hunninghake, Gary et al. “Interstitial Lung Disease in Relatives with Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, February 3, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.201908-1571OC.
4. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (n.d.). https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/rccm.201908-1571OC.
5. Verma, Subodh, Slutsky, Arthur S. “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis — New Insights.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 356, no. 13, 2007, pp. 1370-1372. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMcibr070490.
6. CDC Report: Dental Personnel Treated for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis at a Tertiary Care Center — Virginia, 2000—2015 Weekly / March 9, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/wr/mm6709a2.htm?s_cid=mm6709a2_w.
7. Bors, Melinda, et al. “Cognitive Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.” Chronic Respiratory Disease, Nov. 2015, pp. 365—372, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1479972315603552.
8. American Cancer Society: Cancer Facts & Statistics. “American Cancer Society | Cancer Facts & Statistics. (n.d.).” https://cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org/.
9. Chapman, Harold, et al. “Reversal of TGFβ1-Driven Profibrotic State in Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis.” New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 382, no. 11, 2020, pp. 1068-1070, https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1915189.
10. Wynn, TA. “Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Fibrosis.” The Journal of Pathology, vol. 214, no. 2, 2008, pp. 199-210, https://doi.org/10.1002/path.2277.