The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) is accepting letters of intent for its 2013 PFF Research Fund grants.  Letters of intent will be accepted until Monday, November 26.  

One of the primary goals of the PFF Research Fund is to support research that will ultimately lead to successful therapies for pulmonary fibrosis (PF). As part of its mission, the Foundation has funded over $3,000,000 in basic and clinical research.

The PFF Research Fund supports investigations that offer a high likelihood of improving the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis in the following areas: basic science, translational research, clinical research and social science/quality of life. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and ultimately fatal lung disease that affects approximately 200,000 individuals in the U.S. and 138,000 individuals in the E.U. There is no cure for IPF. There is no FDA-approved treatment for IPF in the U.S. and only limited therapeutic options available for individuals with mild-to-moderate IPF in the E.U., Canada and Asia.

In 2012, the Foundation funded 21 research grants, including four new awards named after its co-founders: two I.M. Rosenzweig Young Investigator Awards and two Albert Rose Established Investigator Awards. The four awards total $200,000, with each recipient receiving $50,000 over a two-year period. All grant applications are peer-reviewed and evaluated for their originality and scientific merit by the Foundation's Research Advisory Committee, comprised of recognized international experts in PF. Only the grant applicants that receive the best evaluations are selected for awards. The Investigator Awards are funded in part by grants from InterMune and Boehringer Ingelheim.

"Our dedication to funding innovative research in lung fibrosis will hopefully lead to effective treatments for IPF and will aid in the recruitment and retention of talented investigators," said Daniel M. Rose, MD, president and CEO of the PFF. "We are thankful to the recognized leaders in pulmonary fibrosis that make up our Research Advisory Committee. They generously donate their time and expertise to ensure that we fund the most promising research."

This year's recipients of the I.M. Rosenzweig Young Investigator Awards were:

Haitao (Mark) Ji, PhD, University of Utah, "Design and Synthesis of Selective Beta-catenin/T-Cell Factor Inhibitors for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis," funded by a grant from InterMune.

Rebecca Keith, MD, University of Colorado, Denver, "Therapeutic Targeting of PTPN-13 in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

This year's recipients of the Albert Rose Established Investigator Awards were:

James S. Hagood, MD, University of California, San Diego, "Extracellular Vesicles Alter Cell Phenotype in Pulmonary Fibrosis."

Glenn Rosen, MD, Stanford University, "Analysis of Novel Functions of Human Telomerase RNA in IPF."

"We are pleased to once again call for letters of intent for our PFF Research Fund," said Dolly Kervitsky, vice Ppesident of patient relations, PFF. "The PFF Research Fund plays a significant role in our comprehensive research program and we are thankful that so many talented and dedicated investigators are working to end pulmonary fibrosis by studying different pathways and mechanisms.”

For further information about the awards, visit https://proposalcentral.altum.com.