Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung condition in which thickening, scarring, and stiffening of lung tissue cause a decline in lung function. People with pulmonary fibrosis often experience shortness of breath and other respiratory symptoms.
"It's difficult for patients to live their daily lives," says Erica Herzog, MD, PhD, John Slade Ely Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) at Yale School of Medicine. "And it causes shorter life because it ultimately results in lung failure."
Herzog's lab studies the mechanisms that underlie the pathology of pulmonary fibrosis. By investigating immune responses and particular proteins that contribute to the condition, the team hopes to find a cure.
"My lab is devoted to finding a cure for pulmonary fibrosis," says Herzog, "whether this is through prevention ... whether it's developing a drug or a method that we can use to halt the disease ... or that we will get to the point where we advance science such that the next generation of scientists can pick up where we left off and we end up being able to reverse the disease, eradicate fibrosis, and have normal lung regrow."