Interstitial Lung Disease Group

The Interstitial Lung Disease Group sees patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease associated with underlying connective tissue diseases, smoking-related interstitial lung diseases, pulmonary vasculitides, and other diffuse infiltrative lung diseases. Care for patients with these lung diseases are provided in collaboration with pulmonary nurses, physician assistants, chest radiologists and lung pathologists. There are ongoing prospective studies investigating new treatments for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (imatinib, etanercept, bosentan, gamma-interferon) and ANCA-associated vasculitis (rituximab). Prospective registries for patients with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and smoking-related interstitial lung diseases including pulmonary Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis, desquamative interstitial pneumonia, and respiratory bronchiolitis-associated-interstitial lung disease are also ongoing. These clinical studies are intertwined with focused basic research examining the mechanisms of lung injury and repair including the control of transforming growth factor in lung fibrosis, repair of lung cell membranes, and the role of proteases in interstitial lung diseases and fibrosis.