Protective Effects of Extracellular Matrix-Derived Hydrogels in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive disease with significant gas exchange impairment owing to exaggerated extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and myofibroblast activation. IPF has no cure, and although nintedanib and pirfenidone are two approved medications for symptom management, the total treatment cost is exuberant and prohibitive to a global uninsured patient population. New therapeutic alternatives with moderate costs are needed to treat IPF. ECM hydrogels derived from decellularized lungs are cost-effective therapeutic candidates to treat pulmonary fibrosis because of their reported antioxidant properties. Oxidative stress contributes to IPF pathophysiology by damaging macromolecules, interfering with tissue remodeling, and contributing to myofibroblast activation. Thus, preventing oxidative stress has beneficial outcomes in IPF. For this purpose, this review describes ECM hydrogel's properties to regulate oxidative stress and tissue remodeling in IPF. Impact statement Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease without a cure and with limited treatment options. At present, approved medications are expensive and pose a huge socioeconomic challenge to patients who depend on them. Affordability and effectiveness are desirable qualities for new therapeutic alternatives. Extracellular matrix hydrogels have properties that distinguish them other biomaterials, and it has been studied in the context of fibrosis-related molecular mechanisms. This review examines the biological processes involved in IPF and suggests developing a hydrogel-based treatment option for patients with IPF.