Gelsolin in pulmonary fibrosis

There is much interest in the cause and natural history of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Gelsolin (GSN) is a multifunctional protein with actin binding properties that modulates cytoskeletal architecture and has been put forward as a likely disease modifier for this condition. Oikonomou and colleagues describe a study showing that GSN expression is increased in the fibrotic lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and fibrotic non-specific interstitial pneumonia but not other forms of interstitial lung disease. They show that GSN expression is also required for disease development. In an accompanying editorial, Whyte discusses the significance of these results and the relationship to other types of fibrosis such as bleomycin-induced lung injury. Thus, using actin-modifying drugs or …