Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive devastating lung disease with substantial morbidity. It is associated with cough, dyspnea and impaired quality of life. If left untreated, IPF has a median survival of 3 years.

IPF affects ∼3 million people worldwide, with increasing incidence in older patients. The current concept of pathogenesis is that pulmonary fibrosis results from repetitive injury to the lung epithelium, with fibroblast accumulation, myofibroblast activation, and deposition of matrix. These injuries, in combination with innate and adaptive immune responses, dysregulated wound repair and fibroblast dysfunction, lead to recurring tissue remodeling and self-perpetuating fibrosis as seen in IPF.

The diagnostic approach includes the exclusion of other interstitial lung diseases or underlying conditions and depends on a multidisciplinary team-based discussion combining radiological and clinical features and well as in some cases histology. In the last decade, considerable progress has been made in the understanding of IPF clinical management, with the availability of two drugs, pirfenidone and nintedanib, that decrease pulmonary lung function decline. However, current IPF therapies only slow disease progression and prognosis remains poor. Fortunately, there are multiple clinical trials ongoing with potential new therapies targeting different disease pathways.

This review provides an overview of IPF epidemiology, current insights in pathophysiology, diagnostic and therapeutic management approaches. Finally, a detailed description of current and evolving therapeutic approaches is also provided.