Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common type of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia
that occurs with similar frequency of several cancers (stomach, brain, and testicular), and a
prognosis not so different from lung cancer. Together with this disease there are several other
secondary forms of progressive pulmonary fibrosis sharing similar pathogenesis and treatment
with IPF. In the recent decades a tremendous effort was made by researchers all over the world
to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis of IPF
and other pulmonary fibrosing disease. The availability of two specific anti-fibrotic drugs, such
as pirfenidone and nintedanib, represented almost an advancement for the management of a
previously orphan and neglected disease. Obviously, there is still a great expectaction for novel
more effective therapeutics raising from new disease-paradigms to prevent and even more, to
revert excessive tissue scarring in the lungs. This meeting organized by the Fondazione Menarini
is aimed to show which are the most promising translational investigations on pulmonary fibrosis
to-date giving a look to new insight into cellular and molecular players driving pulmonary fibrosis.
All we hope to identify soon specific biomarkers to facilitate diagnosis and follow-up and, at the
best, to develop novel effective treatments to improve the still bad prognosis of this devastating
disease.
The historical city of Trieste will host international recognized speakers and experts in this very
interesting and challenging area of research to bring new hope for the patients and physicians
who care for them.
Prof. Marco Confalonieri
Prof. Sergio Harari
Co-Presidents of the Meeting