European Respiratory Journal

As populations age worldwide, diseases like pulmonary fibrosis are increasingly impacting life expectancy and quality. Duke-NUS researchers have identified that blocking specific proteins in immune cells can significantly reduce or reverse lung scarring. This discovery paves the way for novel treatments that could potentially reverse damage from pulmonary fibrosis.

A subset of fibroblasts located in small foci of tissue on the edges of extensive scarring produce a protein that protects against cell aging.