Using an animal model, researchers have discovered and patented a method to stop and revert idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease characterized by abnormal gas exchange in the lungs which quickly reduces the quality of life of patients and eventually leading them to death in few years.

The technique developed by researchers from the IIBB-CSIC-IDIBAPS consists in a transplantation of type II pneumocytes via intratracheal. In order to monitor correctly the transplanted cells with genetic and fluorescence techniques, sexual chromosomal differences were used. Thus, the disease was induced in female rats, and cells from male rats were transplanted. This is a lowly invasive technique which has permitted to regenerate, for the first time, rat fibrotic alveoli where idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was induced.

Results of this study were published recently in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Source: IDIBAPS