The study by researchers at NDM’s Respiratory Medicine Unit and the MRC Translational Immune Discovery Unit, in collaboration with Newcastle University and supported by the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, reveal a critical interaction between immune and epithelial cells that could be driving the disease — and open the door to new treatment approaches.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive condition in which scarring builds up in the lungs, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. Although current medications can slow its progression, they do not stop or reverse the damage.
For years, scientists have known that abnormal healing processes contribute to the disease. However, the exact cellular players and how they interact in the lungs remained largely unclear.
Using advanced imaging technology and computational analysis, the research team created a high-resolution ‘cellular atlas’ of lung tissue donated by IPF patients who were undergoing lung transplantation. The atlas captures both the identity and location of immune and structural cells in diseased lung tissue across different stages of the disease.
Professor Ling-Pei Ho, Professor of Respiratory Immunology at NDM and study lead, said: ‘We’ve taken lung tissue samples and looked at them in an entirely new way — not just identifying the cell types present, but mapping where they are in relation to each other. This allows us to understand how certain immune cells may be influencing abnormal lung repair.’
Professor Ho, is also affiliated with the MRC Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine and is the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre’s Theme Lead for Respirator Medicine.
Read the full story on the Nuffield Department of Medicine website.