Scientists track down a protein that may add to lung damage in asthma and related diseases #Asthma #LungDamage #Respiratorydiseases “Damaged lungs can't open properly. Patients with asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and systemic sclerosis suffer from fibrosis and tissue remodeling, where a build-up of tissue and immune cells, and proteins that form a glue-like substance, keep the airways from expanding. As fibrosis gets worse, taking a breath feels like blowing up a balloon filled with concrete. In a new study, researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) report that a protein called TL1A drives fibrosis in several mouse models, triggering tissue remodeling, and making it harder for lungs and airways to function normally. "Our new study suggests that TL1A and its receptor on cells could be targets for therapeutics aimed at reducing fibrosis and tissue remodeling in patients with severe lung disease," says LJI Professor Michael Croft, Ph.D., director of scientific affairs at LJI and senior author of the new study in The Journal of Immunology.” #MSL #FSTP #MSLcert #medicalscienceliaison medical science liaison #Medicalaffairs medical affairs #Pharmacist #PHD #postdoc #idiopathicpulmonary #fibrosis #systemicsclerosis https://www.instagram.com/p/CFib6nODyGo/?igshid=qf5bhc9cp3s4