IL-10: another therapeutic target in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?
- Correspondence to:
Dr A B Millar
Lung Research Group, Department of Clinical Science at North Bristol, University of Bristol Paul O’Gorman Lifeline Centre, Southmead Hospital, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS10 5NB, UK; Ann.Millar{at}bristol.ac.uk
The need for appropriately designed clinical trials in IPF
These are exciting and hopeful times for those involved in the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Despite the ever expanding wealth of cellular and molecular biology, translation into clinical trials for IPF has been limited.1 However, in the last 2 years results on three potential therapeutic agents have been published, albeit with limited benefit, with others imminent.2–4 The study by Nakagome et al5 in this issue of Thorax gives further support to the concept of interleukin (IL)-10 as an additional biological therapeutic agent.
In the last 20 years the ability of the scientific community to analyse the biological interactions between cells has led to an information explosion. This has been exemplified by the analysis of cytokine (and growth factor) networks.6 Typically, the initial identification of a protein is followed by its receptor(s), its inhibition or induction by lipopolysaccaride and dexamethasone, and then a cascade of publications on interactions with other biologically active proteins. Unfortunately for the lung biologist, despite its …
