Nature Communications recently published research co-authored by 2002
Glenn/AFAR Scholarships for Research in the Biology of Aging recipient Nathan K. LeBrasseur, MS, PhD, which links the biology of aging with the deadly, yet little understood, lung disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
As a related article in Science Daily reports:
A Mayo Clinic study has shown evidence linking the biology of aging with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease that impairs lung function and causes shortness of breath, fatigue, declining quality of life, and, ultimately, death. Researchers believe that these findings, which appear in Nature Communications, are the next step toward a possible therapy for individuals suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a poorly understood disease, and its effects are devastating," says Nathan LeBrasseur, Ph.D., director, Healthy Aging and Independent Living program, Mayo Clinic Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging and senior author of this study. "Individuals with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis express difficulty completing routine activities. There are currently no effective treatment options, and the disease leads to a dramatic decrease in health span and life span, with life expectancy after diagnosis between three to five years."
Learn more about the study on the Mayo Clinic’s site here.
Nathan K. LeBrasseur, MS, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Assistant Professor of Physiology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota.
Learn more about Dr. LaBrasseur’s research in AFAR’s 2014 Annual Report here.
