Consideration of mycophenolate mofetil for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

• Published in: Medical hypotheses Vol. 57; no. 6; pp. 701 - 702
• Main Author: Altschuler, E.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents - therapeutic use; Lung Transplantation; Medical sciences; Mycophenolic Acid - analogs & derivatives; Mycophenolic Acid - therapeutic use; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pulmonary Fibrosis - drug therapy; Pulmonary Fibrosis - etiology; Pulmonary Fibrosis - surgery; Respiratory system; Mofetil; Cell proliferation; Lung disease; Mycophenolic acid; Respiratory disease; Leukocyte; Treatment efficiency; Lung; Idiopathic; Bronchopulmonary; Chemotherapy; Depletion; Treatment; Fibrosis; Bronchus disease; Inhibition; Mechanism of action; Discussion; Fibroblast
• ISSN: 0306-9877; 1532-2777
• DOI: 10.1054/mehy.2001.1437

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an inflammatory disorder of the lungs of unknown etiology, with no effective treatment. Besides the recent finding of utility of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in a case of refractory interstitial lung disease associated with ulcerative colitis, I suggest that there are at least three other reasons to consider MMF for IPF. Previously, MMF has been found to be effective as salvage therapy in a number of diseases. MMF might work for IPF not only by white cell suppression, but also in vivo against proliferation of primary human pulmonary fibroblasts. There is one group of patients for whom, logically, MMF should be most strongly considered – those with a high likelihood of receiving a lung transplant. As MMF is often part of the post-transplant immunosuppressive regimen in these patients, logic would seem to dictate MMF should be considered for use before subjecting the patient to major surgery.