[Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Desperately seeking a model]

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Fibrotic Lung Diseases
• Translational Research

Background:

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease with poorly understood origins and pathogenesis.
• Existing treatments offer only palliative benefits, slowing disease progression without providing a cure.
• The development of effective therapies is significantly impeded by the lack of experimental models that accurately recapitulate IPF's specific pathophysiological mechanisms.

Approach:

• This mini-review provides a comprehensive overview of established experimental animal models utilized in IPF research.
• The analysis critically evaluates the strengths and limitations of commonly employed models in mimicking IPF.
• The review highlights the critical need for novel and improved experimental models.

Key Points:

• Current animal models for IPF research have limitations in fully capturing the complex disease mechanisms.
• The lack of adequate models is a major bottleneck in advancing IPF therapeutic development.
• There is an urgent requirement for innovative experimental systems to better study IPF.

Conclusions:

• The development of novel, more accurate experimental models is crucial for advancing our understanding and treatment of IPF.
• Improved models will facilitate the discovery and testing of curative therapies for this devastating disease.
• This review underscores the imperative for continued innovation in IPF preclinical research models.