UVA Health researchers work on developing Interstitial Lung Disease detection methods

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - UVA Health researchers are developing a new way to detect who is at risk for Interstitial Lung Disease, one of the leading reasons for lung transplants.

The team, led by Doctor John Kim, has found blood “biomarkers” that can predict survival and could one day identify people likely to develop the disease before it starts. Kim says the goal is prevention, catching the lung disease early, before permanent lung damage occurs.

“The FDA just announced another drug this week” Dr. Kim said. “The issue is that these drugs do have a lot of side effects, particularly related to GI symptoms. What we’re hoping to do in the future is actually really test and see whether these proteins are truly predictive of future risk of developing this disease.”

Kim says there are drugs available that can slow the progression, but with more research and clinical trials they can find more remedies to help with the scarring.

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