Fibrosis News and Research

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Fibrosis is the growth of fibrous tissue.

Cloning stem cells to develop treatments for Crohn's disease

For over a decade Wa Xian, research associate professor of biology and biochemistry at the University of Houston Stem Cell Center, has been perfecting technology for cloning stem cells. Now she is using it to take aim at pediatric Crohn's disease.

18 Jun 2020

Discovery of key steps in kidney formation could have implications for treating renal diseases

The discovery of how certain key structures in the kidneys are formed could have important implications for treating renal fibrosis (or scarring), a feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a new study by a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.

18 Jun 2020

Study reports ominous resurgence of silicosis

A new study appearing in the journal CHEST®, published by Elsevier, documents an increased incidence of silicosis, which progressed rapidly to massive pulmonary fibrosis in a significant proportion of patients who had previously worked artificial stone (AS), also called artificial quartz agglomerate or conglomerate, a popular new countertop material, despite the cessation of exposure after diagnosis.

18 Jun 2020

Study reveals new insight into Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy

The molecular changes that lead to Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) occur decades before the disease causes blurry vision and other noticeable symptoms in patients, new research by UT Southwestern scientists shows.

17 Jun 2020

Researchers develop a simple tool for making mouse models of COVID-19

Until there are effective treatments or vaccines, the COVID-19 pandemic will remain a significant threat to public health and economies around the world. A major hurdle to developing and testing new anti-viral therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 is the lack of good, widely available animal models of the disease.

16 Jun 2020

Micro-dystrophin gene therapy can improve outcomes in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers from Nationwide Children's Hospital have published in JAMA Neurology results from the first four patients treated in the first clinical trial of systemic delivery of micro-dystrophin gene therapy in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) - and initial findings suggest that the therapy can provide functional improvement that is greater than that observed under the standard of care.

16 Jun 2020

Molecular approach can improve diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious problem associated with a wide variety of lung diseases, which can lead to right ventricular dysfunction and death.

15 Jun 2020

Progression and severity of COVID-19 highly dependant on cytokine changes

A new review paper by the researchers from Spain, published in the journal Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews, demonstrates how changes in the levels of cytokines and other biomolecules are associated with the presence and more serious prognosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

11 Jun 2020

Experts discover a rare heart bone in chimpanzees

Experts from the University of Nottingham have discovered that some chimpanzees have a bone in their heart, which could be vital in managing their health and conservation.

10 Jun 2020

Research demonstrates novel pathway regulating the underlying mechanism of NASH

CN Bio, a leading cell culture company that has developed single and multi-organ microphysiological systems that improve the accuracy and efficiency of drug discovery, today announced the publication of co-authored research led by researchers at the University of Cambridge in Nature Metabolism, identifying a novel pathway that regulates the underlying mechanism of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis, potentially a new therapeutic target.

10 Jun 2020

MUSC receives $16.5 million NIH funding to open two new digestive disease research centers

This spring marked a seismic shift for digestive and liver disease research at the Medical University of South Carolina with the award of more than $16.5 million in National Institutes of Health funding to open two new tightly integrated centers.

5 Jun 2020

Novel disease may lead to a better understanding of cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis is the most frequent severe inherited disorder worldwide. Every year, hundreds of families are confronted with this diagnosis - and to date, there is no cure for this disease that mainly affects the respiratory system.

5 Jun 2020

Newly identified mechanism regulates activity of nitric oxide-producing enzyme

The liver filters blood, detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. Hepatitis, alcohol and primary liver diseases are common sources of damage in the liver and can result in scarring, known as fibrosis.

5 Jun 2020

COVID-19 pandemic may cause long-term effects and increase healthcare costs, says GlobalData

As many COVID-19 patients may experience long-term complications from the illness such as intensive care unit delirium, post-traumatic stress disorder, lung damage, heart damage and possible neurological issues, GlobalData expects the market for these treatments to increase due to the COVID-19 pandemic as recovered patients may need long-term care for these issues after being released from the intensive care unit and the hospital.

4 Jun 2020

Study offers potential targets for treating people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Researchers have discovered that a defective form of the protein aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein (ACLP) from patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is retained in cells and induces cellular stress.

4 Jun 2020

New device allows rapid disease analysis in kidneys affected by diabetes

The amount of scarring in damaged kidneys as a result of diabetes or acute injury, is a key factor in determining treatment. But it has not been possible, using traditional techniques, to quickly and accurately assess how widespread this kind of wounding extends within the organ.

28 May 2020

Blood clotting disorders may explain some of the worst symptoms of COVID-19

The hypothesis that blood clotting disorders may explain some of the worst symptoms of COVID-19, including respiratory failure and pulmonary fibrosis, was suggested in mid-April by researchers in Brazil affiliated with the University of São Paulo's Medical School (FM-USP) via an article accepted for publication by the Journal of Thrombosis.

27 May 2020

'Senolytic' therapy blunts liver tumor progression in animal models

"Senotherapy," a treatment that uses small molecule drugs to target "senescent" cells, or those cells that no longer undergo cell division, blunts liver tumor progression in animal models according to new research from a team led by Celeste Simon, Ph.D., a professor of Cell and Developmental Biology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and scientific director of the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute.

20 May 2020

Diagnosis and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), has released a special issue providing clinicians and researchers an up-to-date resource on the risk factors, natural history, diagnosis and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

20 May 2020