Fibrotic lung conditions result in scarring of the lung tissue. This causes shortness of breath and cough, and has an enormous impact on people\u2019s quality of life. We currently know that progressive lung scarring may be caused by a few conditions like Rheumatoid Arthritis and previous exposure to asbestos, birds (pigeons, parrots and budgies particularly) and moulds. In cases where no cause is found, we sometimes refer to this type of lung scarring as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). However, regardless of whether a cause is found, or not, we do not have a cure.<\/p>\n
The aim of these studies is to understand whether patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis, regardless of the cause, have shared reasons for their disease progression. We will do this by assessing whether the genetic, cellular and chemical signals in the blood of people with IPF and other lung scarring conditions are similar or different. We also need to understand how these conditions change over time. Researchers wish to study the genetic signatures in samples and hope it will lead to a better understanding of why people develop lung fibrosis regardless of its cause and how the disease and its symptoms progress.<\/p>\n