RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Genetics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: from mechanistic pathways to personalised medicine
JF Journal of Medical Genetics
JO J Med Genet
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 93
OP 99
DO 10.1136/jmedgenet-2016-103973
VO 54
IS 2
A1 Paolo Spagnolo
A1 Vincent Cottin
YR 2017
UL http://jmg.bmj.com/content/54/2/93.abstract
AB Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive and ultimately fatal disorder for which there is no cure. While the disease is by definition idiopathic, accumulating evidence, including familial aggregation of cases and the occurrence of pulmonary fibrosis in the context of a number of rare genetic disorders, indicates that genetic factors contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of IPF. Several disease-associated genetic variants, both rare and common, have been identified in familial and sporadic IPF. While the full clinical implications of these genetic associations remain to be elucidated, observational studies suggest that genotype influences the development of the disease and its outcome. Available data indicate that genetics has the potential to identify individuals at risk of IPF, classify patients more precisely, clarify the key pathways involved in disease pathogenesis and eventually develop more effective targeted therapies. Considerable research is required before a comprehensive disease fingerprint of IPF can be delivered. Nevertheless, the application of rapidly evolving molecular biology and genomic technologies combined with appropriate bioinformatic methodology offers an unprecedented and realistic opportunity to achieve this goal.