Cause or consequence in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: utilising genetic data to back the right horse

The task is clear: we need better treatments for pulmonary fibrosis (PF). The two antifibrotic therapies licensed for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have shown efficacy in other forms of PF but do not meet the needs of people living with PF; drugs that can halt or even reverse progression and, importantly, improve quality of life. Although a number of new potential therapies are now reaching late-stage clinical trials, the recent failure of three of these has been disheartening1 and highlights the need to dig deeper, and smarter, for new potential drug targets.