Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation International Conference A Forum For Sharing Research, Launching New Programs

CHICAGO, Nov. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A record number of more than 700 researchers, health care professionals, pulmonary fibrosis patients, caregivers and industry leaders from 18 countries gathered in Washington, D.C. for the third biennial PFF Summit 2015: From Bench to Bedside, an international scientific conference presented by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF). The event was further celebrated by the announcement of a $1 million unrestricted bequest to support the PFF by Daniel M. Rose, MD, PFF senior advisor and immediate past CEO of the PFF, and his wife Ellen M. Pinson. Dr. Rose's father and uncle founded the PFF in 1999.

Held November 12-14, the PFF Summit 2015 provided a collaborative environment aimed at improving education and awareness of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and identifying new approaches to treat, and ultimately cure, the disease.

"On behalf of the PFF, I'd like to thank the terrific faculty, keynote speakers and poster presenters from around the world. Their contributions provided rich knowledge and inspired thoughtful interaction among all attendees," said Patti Tuomey, president and CEO of the PFF. "The PFF Summit provides a unique forum to facilitate discussion among a broad group of people who are engaged within the PF community and share the PFF's vision of one day imagining a world without pulmonary fibrosis."

The PFF Summit 2015 also offered an important opportunity for the presentation of new research, discussion of new treatments, and a meeting of the newly formed PFF Research Advisory Forum (RAF). One of the goals of the RAF is to promote collaborative PF research and scientific discovery. In order to achieve this, the RAF is comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders, including clinicians, researchers, patients and industry representatives. Input will be sought from appropriate regulatory agencies. A full list of members will be available on the PFF website.

"The RAF provides a unique forum to facilitate discussion among a broad group of thought leaders, some of whom do not typically have the opportunity to engage in discussions around the advancement of research in PF," said Harold R. Collard, MD, chair of the PFF Summit 2015 and chair of the RAF. "We hope that the RAF will be valuable in shaping the future of PF research."

Further highlights from the PFF Summit 2015 include:

• In addition to drawing record attendance overall, the PFF Summit accepted a record number of abstracts for the poster presentation. The winners were able to present their research during Summit and also received monetary awards. Of the 64 posters eligible for awards, the following are the top five winners:
  • Robert Guzy, Washington University School of Medicine, "Fibroblast-Specific FGF Signaling in Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis"
  • Justin Oldham, the University of Chicago, "TOLLIP, MUC5B and the Response to N-acetylcysteine Among Individuals with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis"
  • Rachel Scheraga, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, "The Mechanosensitive Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) Ion Channel Mediates the Pro-resolution/Anti-fibrotic Macrophage Response to Endotoxin (LPS)"
  • Louise Hecker, the University of Arizona, "Impaired Myofibroblast Dedifferentiation Contributes to Non-Resolving Fibrosis in Aging"
  • Renea Jabolonski, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, "SIRT3, the Anti-Aging Major Mitochondrial Deacetylase, is Important for Preventing Pulmonary fibrosis"
• PFF Care Center Network meeting to discuss the expansion from 21 sites to 40 as well as review the enrollment process for the PFF Patient Registry, which is expected to enroll patients in early 2016

The PFF thanks the PFF Summit 2015 Everest sponsors: Boehringer Ingelheim and Genentech; McKinley sponsor: The Edmunds, Esernia and Steffy Families; Shasta sponsors: Bayer Pharma AG, Biogen, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Inspire; Grand Teton sponsors: Veracyte, Promedior and PatientsLikeMe; and Partner sponsors: InspiRx, Inova, Spectrum Health and Fibrogen; Summit Circle for Individuals and Families: The Strickland Family and Chuck and Monica McQuaid. The Welcome Reception and Poster Presentation are made possible by our presenting sponsors and the Pete DeVito Memorial Foundation. The CME/CE program is supported by an educational grant from Gilead Sciences. Additional support was provided by Novartis, Orsini Healthcare and The France Foundation.

For more information about the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.

About Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition in which, over a period of time, lung tissue becomes thickened, stiff and scarred. The development of the scar tissue is called fibrosis. As the lung tissue becomes scarred and grows thicker, the lungs lose their ability to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. As a result, the brain and other organs don't receive enough oxygen. In some cases, doctors can determine the cause of the fibrosis, but in many cases, there is no known cause. When the cause of the fibrosis is unknown (and certain pathologic or radiographic criteria are met), the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF. There is no cure for IPF. Presently, there are two FDA-approved treatments for IPF in the U.S.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The mission of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is to serve as the trusted resource for the pulmonary fibrosis (PF) community by raising awareness, providing disease education, advancing care and funding research. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, people with PF and caregivers worldwide. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. The PFF Summit 2017: From Bench to Bedside, its fourth biennial international health care conference, will be held November 9-11, 2017. For more information visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or +1 312.587.9272 from outside of the U.S.

For Media Inquiries:
Michelle Michael
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
312.239.6628
[email protected]

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Related Links

http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org