Restricted Gift to Fund Research into Novel Approaches for Treating Pulmonary
Fibrosis
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Pulmonary
Fibrosis (CPF) today announced that it has awarded the University of Michigan
Health System's Division of Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine (UMHS) a
$60,000 restricted gift to investigate two novel approaches for treating
pulmonary fibrosis.
"This gift represents a significant milestone for the Coalition for
Pulmonary Fibrosis because it is our first major gift to fund emerging
research in pulmonary fibrosis," said Mark A. Shreve, chief executive officer
of the CPF. "We are particularly grateful to the hundreds of donors who
contributed during our 2004 National IPF Awareness Week, our "Breathing is
Glorious" fundraising race in Ann Arbor, Mich., and to the many donors around
the country who have helped grow our research fund and make it possible for us
to fund promising pulmonary fibrosis research."
The CPF has awarded UMHS gifts for two specific research initiatives:
-- Phase I/II trial of tetrathiomolybdate (TM) in patients with IPF
refractory to previous therapy - (Principal Investigator - Kevin R.
Flaherty, M.D., MS)
Persistent overproduction of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-B), a
protein, is believed to be a central mechanism in pulmonary fibrosis.
Published research by UMHS has recently shown that administration of TM
markedly nullifies pulmonary fibrosis and the rise in TGF-B protein in
mice challenged with intratracheal bleomycin. As this compound has
been used safely in patients with Wilson's disease, researchers began a
therapeutic trial of TM in pulmonary fibrosis patients. This study, a
Phase I/II safety/efficacy study, is an open-labeled trial for patients
that have demonstrated disease progression despite treatment with
standard therapy. Current funding is provided through collaboration
with the University of Michigan General Clinical Research Center. The
CPF is awarding its grant to UMHS to enroll additional patients in the
clinical trial.
-- Examining the role of circulating fibrocytes in the pathogenesis of
pulmonary fibrosis - (Principal Investigators - Bethany Moore, M.D.
and Galen Toews, M.D.)
This study will provide insight into the future of therapy for IPF.
Research findings from UMHS have identified a population of bone
marrow-derived precursor cells in the blood circulation that can be
recruited to the lung and can contribute to progression of pulmonary
fibrosis. These circulating, bone marrow-derived cells are known as
fibrocytes. Previous UMHS studies have demonstrated that the chemokine
receptor CCR2 is a dominant receptor regulating fibrocyte recruitment
to the injured or fibrotic lung. Furthermore, CCR2 signaling regulates
the production of extracellular matrix by fibrocytes, which is related
to the development of fibrosis. Thus, strategies which block CCR2
signaling may provide exciting, new therapeutic approaches for patients
with pulmonary fibrosis.
"Supporting and funding emerging research in pulmonary fibrosis is central
to the mission of the CPF," said Shreve. "We look forward to future
partnerships with leading medical centers in the United States in hopes of
identifying promising research for pulmonary fibrosis patients, and working to
raise the necessary funds to bring these ideas into clinical trials."
"We are honored to be the recipient of this gift from the Coalition for
Pulmonary Fibrosis," said Galen B. Toews, M.D., chief, Division of Pulmonary &
Critical Care Medicine at UMHS. "This gift will support exciting studies of
bone marrow-derived cells which migrate to the lung following injuries which
cause fibrosis, and studies of a novel therapeutic agent which might block
TGF-beta effects. This generous gift from the Coalition for Pulmonary
Fibrosis establishes a partnership with the University of Michigan which will
speed the movement of ideas from the bench to the bedside."
About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
IPF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring -- known as
fibrosis -- and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of
their ability to breathe. Approximately 83,000 Americans suffer from IPF, and
there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 31,000 new cases are
diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult to diagnose and an estimated two-thirds
of patients die within five years of diagnosis.
About the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit
organization, founded in 2001 to further education, patient support and
research efforts for interstitial lung disease, and specifically pulmonary
fibrosis. The CPF is governed by the nation's leading pulmonologists,
individuals affected by pulmonary fibrosis, medical research professionals and
advocacy organizations. With more than 8,000 members nationwide, the CPF is
the largest nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to helping those
with pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF's nonprofit partners include the Caring Voice
Coalition, the Genetic Alliance, the Mary D. Harris Memorial Foundation, the
National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups, the National Organization for
Rare Disorders, The Pulmonary Paper, the Second Wind Lung Transplant
Association, and more than 30 leading medical and research centers nationwide.
For more information about the CPF visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org .
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