Telomerase Gene Therapy Cures Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice

Pulmonary fibrosis is a fatal lung condition that can be associated with lung cells exhibiting short telomeres, the protective structures at the ends of chromosomes. Researchers in Spain now report on the use of an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy to rebuild telomeres and effectively cure mice with a form of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) that mirrors the disease in humans. Reporting in eLife , the team, led by Maria A. Blasco, Ph.D.,  and Paula Martínez, P