'Beneficial inflammation' may promote healing in pulmonary fibrosis
Friday, April 25, 2014 - 17:30
in Health & Medicine
Inflammation has long been considered an integral part of the biological process that leads to deadly scarring in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. New research, however, suggests that a little inflammation may also be crucial to the healing and repair processes in the lungs. "The role of inflammation in the development of scarring has been hotly debated in recent years," said one researcher. "Our findings show for the first time that TNF-alpha actually promotes inflammation during the resolution of established scarring. A little inflammation may actually be a good thing in the right place and time."