New Test for Lung Transplant Patients

I am so sorry to not write for a couple of days. My power cord broke. I now have a new one along with lots more to share with you.

This is what BOS looks like. Notice the arrows on the left.

The wonderful people at the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis passed along part of an article from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine which announced that a new test to predict bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) has been discovered. This is the “leading cause of death for those who survive one year after lung transplantation and more than half of recipients will develop BOS within 5 years. There is currently no cure.”

The University of Michigan Medical School discovered that “patients who had a high number of stem cells in their lungs six months after transplantation were much more likely to develop BOS than those with lower counts.”

What is thrilling is that this new finding will lead to more research of other lung diseases like ILDs.

If you are interested in more information or to make a donation to the good people at the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, their web site is:  www.coalitionforpf.org