Chronic lung diseases: prospects for regeneration and repair

What is it about?

The lives of patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are not improving. This is partly because we do not know what makes these diseases develop and get worse. As a result, there have been few new, effective medicines for these diseases over the last 10 years. In the early stages of COPD and IPF, the delicate structures and cells of the lung become damaged. As the disease gets worse over time, the lungs cannot repair properly. Many techniques currently used to diagnose COPD and IPF cannot detect these early changes, meaning that by the time the diseases are diagnosed, the lungs could be permanently damaged. Therefore, it is essential that patients are diagnosed and receive treatment earlier than they do currently. Different types of COPD and IPF exist, but we do not fully understand what these different types are. Scientists are looking into how changes in the cells and tissues of the lung lead to different types of disease. This information could reveal new ways of stopping, or even reversing, the lung damage early, perhaps by removing damaged cells and stimulating healthy cells into repairing the lungs. New developments, such as DNA and protein technologies, could target the exact genes, proteins or cells that are causing the specific type of disease a patient has. This would greatly improve treatment success, reduce side effects, and mean that patients have the right treatment for their type of disease. Furthermore, new methods are being developed to help diagnose COPD and IPF earlier, so there is a better chance to treat the lungs before damage becomes permanent.

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