Leicester and Nottingham scientists discover new gene associated with debilitating lung disease

Health scientists at the University of Leicester and University of Nottingham have heralded the discovery of a gene associated with lung fibrosis as 'a potential new avenue of treatment for further research into this terrible disease.' - The breakthrough is announced today in a paper published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine . Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a debilitating lung disease, affecting ~6,000 new people each year, where scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs makes it difficult to breathe. IPF, on average, results in death 3 years after diagnosis. There is no cure for IPF, and currently available drugs can only slow the disease down, and do not stop, or reverse, it. Furthermore, some patients may suffer unpleasant side-effects. A better understanding of the disease is needed to develop even more effective treatments.