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Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis Provides $43,000 Gift to The University of Chicago to Advance New Approaches to Understanding IPF

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 February 2006, 09:01 CST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) today announced a gift to the University of Chicago that will go to help further idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) research. The gift has been made in the amount of $43,000 and is the result of funds raised at its inaugural B.I.G. (Breathing is Glorious!) Ball held in Chicago, Ill. in partnership with the University of Chicago on October 21, 2005.

As a member of an NIH designated clinical research network for the study of IPF, the University of Chicago is using the funds to aid the establishment of a new study of the "Natural History of Interstitial Lung Diseases and IPF," a study that has been approved by the University's institutional review board (IRB) to begin enrolling subjects from the Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic. The study aims to better describe the "phenotypic" expression of interstitial lung diseases, and specifically IPF. Following patients over time will allow investigators to track the natural history of these diseases, with special attention focused on: assessment of quality of life (QOL) questionnaires as predictors of physiological changes; assessment of response to various therapies; and surrogate physiological markers of mortality. The study will also assess if blood samples for later genetic analysis and genomics provide insight into the polymorphisms related to the etiology and pathology of the lung damage caused by IPF.

Patients will also be screened for participation in new studies that become available. This information will help identify trends and hopefully lead to a better understanding of the disease progression, treatment options and outcomes.

"The CPF's partnership with the University of Chicago clearly advances our mission of raising awareness about IPF and supporting & funding emerging approaches to understanding the disease," said Mark A. Shreve, chief executive officer of the CPF. "Through this fundraising effort we were able to provide an avenue for donors to support their local medical center, while at the same time supporting the national programs & services of the CPF. This fundraising model continues to demonstrate that we can fuel new efforts to help all those affected by IPF."

Dr. Imre Noth, Assistant Professor of Medicine, and the University of Chicago have also established a consortium of investigators from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago to advance efforts to improve standards of care for the treatment of IPF in the metropolitan Chicago area.

Specifically, support from CPF will be used to recruit a data coordinator and acquire the software resources to help manage the data collected through the consortium.

"With the help of generous donors and the CPF, the regular and consistent funding of this project over time will lead to marked improvements in how we prevent, diagnosis and treat IPF," said Imre Noth, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago.

The CPF and the University of Chicago will be hosting the 2nd Annual B.I.G. Ball on October 21, 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel in Chicago with the goal to raise $200,000. The University of Chicago will continue to use these funds to support new and existing studies in IPF to determine innovative targets for therapy and assist in earlier diagnosis. For more information, visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org/ or call the CPF at 1-888-222-8541.

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

IPF is a lung disorder characterized by a progressive scarring -- known as fibrosis -- and deterioration of the lungs, which slowly robs its victims of their ability to breathe. Approximately 83,000 Americans suffer from IPF, and there is currently no known cause or cure. An estimated 31,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. IPF is difficult to diagnose, and an estimated two-thirds of patients die within five years of diagnosis.

About the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis

The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 2001 to further education, patient support and research efforts for interstitial lung disease, and specifically pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF is governed by the nation's leading pulmonologists, individuals affected by pulmonary fibrosis, medical research professionals and advocacy organizations. With more than 9,000 members nationwide, the CPF is the largest nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to helping those with pulmonary fibrosis. The CPF's nonprofit partners include the Caring Voice Coalition, the Genetic Alliance, the Mary D. Harris Memorial Foundation, the National Coalition of Autoimmune Patient Groups, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), The Pulmonary Paper, the Second Wind Lung Transplant Association, and more than 30 leading medical and research centers nationwide. For more information please visit http://www.coalitionforpf.org/.

Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis

CONTACT: Teresa Geiger of Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis,+1-303-521-4080, or tgeiger@coalitionforpf.org; or Katherine Peck ofUniversity of Chicago, +1-773-834-4726, or kpeck@mcdmail.uchicago.edu

Web site: http://www.coalitionforpf.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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