Are newly launched pharmacotherapies efficacious in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis? Or is there still more work to be done?

Protective effects of isorhynchophylline against silicon-dioxide-induced lung injury in mice

Inhalation of silicon dioxide (SD) results in pulmonary inflammatory responses and fibrosis. Isorhynchophylline (Isorhy) is the main alkaloid in the traditional Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii, which is reported to have anti-inflammatory activities in the nervous system. However, the effects of Isorhy on SD-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice are unknown. Male mice were exposed to a single dose of SD (2.5 mg/kg, intranasal inoculation) to induce pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The mice were woken up and immediately treated with Isorhy (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) for 14 or 42 days. The effects of Isorhy on inflammatory responses and lung fibrosis induced by SD were then investigated. After the 14-day treatment, there was a significant reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs of mice, with reduced recruitment of inflammatory cells to the lungs. The concentration of pro-inflammatory factors in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was reduced, which alleviated inflammatory injury in the lung tissue. After the 42-day treatment, Isorhy alleviated inflammation and inhibited the release of fibrogenic factors in mice with PF. Isorhy also significantly reduced collagen deposition in the lung tissues of mice. Isorhy has the ability to reduce inflammatory responses and fibrosis associated with SD-induced acute lung injury.

Potent and Selective Human Prostaglandin F (FP) Receptor Antagonist (BAY-6672) for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare and devastating chronic lung disease of unknown etiology. Despite the approved treatment options nintedanib and pirfenidone, the medical need for a safe and well-tolerated antifibrotic treatment of IPF remains high. The human prostaglandin F receptor (hFP-R) is widely expressed in the lung tissue and constitutes an attractive target for the treatment of fibrotic lung diseases. Herein, we present our research toward novel quinoline-based hFP-R antagonists, including synthesis and detailed structure-activity relationship (SAR). Starting from a high-throughput screening (HTS) hit of our corporate compound library, multiple parameter improvements-including increase of the relative oral bioavailability F_rel from 3 to ≥100%-led to a highly potent and selective hFP-R antagonist with complete oral absorption from suspension. BAY-6672 (46) represents-to the best of our knowledge-the first reported FP-R antagonist to demonstrate in vivo efficacy in a preclinical animal model of lung fibrosis, thus paving the way for a new treatment option in IPF.

Protective effects of Rosavin on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via suppressing fibrotic and inflammatory signaling pathways in mice

Idiopathic Pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is diagnosed as a life-threatening, progressive and incurable lung disease characterized by accumulation of extracellular matrix and myofibroblasts, resulting in the function degradation and structural alterations in normal lung parenchyma. Notably, Pulmonary Fibrosis has been considering as a difficult problem in clinical with high mortality and effective treatment strategies. Rosavin, a benzylPropylene glycoside, is isolated from Rhodiola rosea L., exhibiting nootropic, anti-depressant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. In this study, we attended to elucidate the pharmacological activity of Rosavin for treatment of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice. The results indicated that Rosavin could significantly ameliorate the lung index and Pathological structure of mice with Pulmonary fibrosis by bleomycin-induced. Additionally, Rosavin could evidently decreased inflammatory cells infiltration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and pro-inflammatory cytokines expression in lung tissue specimens induced by bleomycin. Rosavin could down-regulate the expression of hydroxyproline and malondialdehyde and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase in lung tissue. The expression of Nrf2 were increased, and the expression of NF-κB p65, TGF-β1 and α-SMA were inhibited. The findings revealed the protective effects and the primary mechanism of rosavin on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, which provided a scientific foundation for Rosavin as a promising candidate for Pulmonary fibrosis treatment.