Clinical Research and Trials


Clinical research

Research for pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF) is the main way to discover new information, such as the cause, treatments and testing, for PF.  Through research it is hoped that what causes certain types of pulmonary fibrosis can be understood - such as IPF and FPF,  why pulmonary fibrosis progresses differently from one individual to the next, and other unanswered questions regarding PF.

Clinical research studies are ongoing at National Jewish Health as well as around the country.  If you are interested in participating in research, more information can be found on the following pages. 

Please remember, not every individual qualifies for participation in a research study.  If you feel you may qualify for a specific research study, please contact the study directly for more information.  

There are several different areas of research are actively investigating pulmonary fibrosis:

  • Genetics - Genetic research seeks to identify genes that significantly contribute to the development of PF.  Knowing the genes that contribute to PF could potentially lead to early diagnosis, treatment and possibly even prevention of PF. 
  • Pathophysiology - The goal is to understand the the origin and progression of PF.  Research in this area could lead to a better understanding of how pulmonary fibrosis occurs, allowing the development of new therapies for PF.     
  • Translational research - The focus of translational research is to adapt the scientific findings from non-human research on the molecular or cellular level into human applications.
  • Epidemiology - This is the study of the health and illness in entire populations.  For example, noticing that a certain region has a higher incidence of people who develop IPF may lead to the discovery of new risk factors or other considerations for the development of disease.