6 days Ago
A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons By MEIKE LEONARD Published: 01:19 BST, 27 April 2025 | Updated: 01:19 BST, 27 April 2025 e-mail View comments A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons, a study claims. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) occurs when scar tissue builds up in the lungs, causing the walls to stiffen and making it difficult to breathe. The condition primarily affects older adults and leads to a persistent cough, fatigue, weight loss and muscle aches.
Symptoms rapidly worsen, and its cause is unknown. Though the scarring can be managed by medications such as antifibrotics, average life expectancy once IPF sets in is just three to five years. However, a group of American scientists claim a cancer drug already used by the Health Service can reverse damage caused by the condition.
Ipilimumab blocks the CTLA-4 protein – which suppresses the immune system – to allow the body to better recognise and attack diseased cells. The protein has also been proven to contribute towards lung scarring by negating fibroblast cells, which repair damaged tissue. In IPF sufferers, fibroblasts do not function properly.
Ipilimumab blocks the CTLA-4 protein – which suppresses the immune system – to allow the body to better recognise and attack diseased cells (file image) A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons, a study claims (file image) But ipilimumab can also be administered to aid lung-tissue regeneration, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals. Mice that received the drug intravenously showed much-improved lung-repair ability and recovered faster than those not on the medication. ‘This opens up an entirely new direction for potential treatment of IPF,’ says lead author Dr Santu Yadav, assistant professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine.
The researchers are hopeful the same ‘immune-rejuvenating’ approach could also be used to treat Alzheimer’s and heart disease. NHS Share or comment on this article: A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons e-mail Add comment Comments 0 Share what you think No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules . Submit Comment Clear Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. No Yes Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline.
To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook.
Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy ..
