Strategies targeting fibrosis in pulmonary disease

Pulmonary fibrosis is potentially a curable disease, but this potential is dependent on correct identification of disease targets at the research stage. While invaluable work has been done in animal models to identify factors involved in the initiation of fibrogenesis, we must now shift our focus towards identifying factors involved in the chronic progression of fibrosis and how to modulate the progressive nature of the disease towards repair or regeneration of non-functioning pulmonary tissue.Section editor:Martin Braddock – AstraZeneca R&D Charnwood, Loughborough, UK