Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: aligning murine models to clinical trials in humans

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal progressive fibrotic disease of unknown cause, limited to the lungs, which typically manifests in older male adults (>60 years of age), and has no present cure. 1 Podolanczuk AJ Thomson CC Remy-Jardin M et al. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: state of the art for 2023. Eur Respir J. 2023; 612200957 Crossref Scopus (10) Google Scholar Preclinical trials, conducted in murine models of IPF, precede IPF clinical trials conducted in humans; over 300 IPF clinical trials have been completed or are currently underway to date. Preclinical tests in murine models are crucial to identify candidate drugs for subsequent human IPF clinical trials. 2 Kolb P Upagupta C Vierhout M et al. The importance of interventional timing in the bleomycin model of pulmonary fibrosis. Eur Respir J. 2020; 551901105 Crossref Scopus (71) Google Scholar Both preclinical and clinical trials are designed to test candidate drug efficacy and have the final goal of improving outcomes that are meaningful to patients with IPF. By better aligning the experimental methods used in preclinical studies with those being used in IPF clinical trials, greater synergy between these two trial types can be established, and lessons learned from both trial types will improve and expedite drug development for IPF.