Category: Lung Disease News

In an article published in Cell Metabolism, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report on a newly discovered biochemical pathway that protects cells from a type of cell death called ferroptosis. Source

An unfortunate truth about using mechanical ventilation to save lives is that the pressure can cause further lung damage. Scientists have identified a helpful molecule produced by immune cells during ventilation and are working to boost that natural process in pursuit of a therapy that could lower the chances for lung damage in patients on vents. Source

COVID pneumonia is significantly different from pneumonia caused by other causes, reports a new study. It shows how hijacks the lungs’ own immune cells and uses them to spread across the lung over weeks. The infection leaves damage in its wake and fuels the fever, low blood pressure and damage to the kidneys, brain, heart and other organs in patients with COVID-19. Scientists discovered a target for treating COVID pneumonia. Source

Patients with severe COVID-19 disease have significantly shorter telomeres, according to a new study. Researchers postulate that telomere shortening as a consequence of the viral infection impedes tissue regeneration and that this is why a significant number of patients suffer prolonged sequelae. Source

Researchers have discovered immune cells resident in the lungs that persist long after a bout of flu. Experiments with mice have shown that these helper cells improve the immune response to reinfection by a different strain of the flu virus. The discovery could yield approaches to developing longer-lasting vaccinations against quickly-mutating viruses. Source

A new study examines the recovery of lung function and overall wellness in individuals who had varying degrees of COVID-19 severity. Little is known about lung health following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and whether later respiratory problems, fatigue and ill health are associated with the disease’s initial severity. Source

Osteopontin is discovered as the culprit behind systemic sclerosis patients’ main cause of death: lung fibrosis. However, a repurposed immunosuppressive drug may combat the pro-inflammatory protein. Source

A drug widely used to treat fungal infections improved key biomarkers in lung tissue cultures as well as in the noses of patients with cystic fibrosis, a clinical study found. Source

Reporting on how deferred care worsened outcomes for lung cancer patients when the COVID-19 pandemic first surged in the spring of 2020, researchers explained that they have identified a framework that could help people with serious health conditions keep up their appointments during the current surge. Source

To analyze SARS-CoV-2 at the tissue level, scientists examined lung specimens from 24 patients who succumbed to COVID-19. The analyses revealed two phases of infection in the patients: an early phase defined by high levels of virus in the lungs, and a later phase in which the virus is no longer present, but the damage to the lungs is too severe for recovery. Source