San Jose, Calif. – January 20, 2008 - The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis (CPF) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS), the world’s leading professional organization for pulmonary, critical care and sleep physicians, today announced that they have jointly funded a $100,000, two-year research award to Andrew M. Tager, M.D. from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston.

“We are excited to continue this important partnership with ATS” said Marvin I. Schwarz, M.D., chairman of the CPF and the James C. Campbell Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. “Dr. Tager’s research is certainly exciting in that it represents a potential new clinical pathway to understanding how IPF progresses in humans, which could lead to new treatments.”

"I am deeply honored to be selected as the recipient of the 2008 CPF/ATS grant in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. I am devoted to increasing our understanding of the mechanisms of progression of IPF, and hope our work will lead to new effective therapies for this dreadful disease,” said Andrew M. Tager, MD.

The objective of Dr. Tager’s study - entitled “Mechanisms of Fibrosis Driven by Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) and its Receptor LPA1” - is to investigate the role of Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) and its cognate receptor LPA1 in lung injury and fibroproliferation following bleomycin treatment. Preliminary data has identified LPA as a potentially important mediator in IPF, functioning as a signaling molecule that triggers the proliferation of scar tissue. The research aims determine the role of LPA/LPA1 in fibroblast recruitment induced by lung injury, determine the role of endothelial cell LPA1 in vascular leak induced by lung injury, and investigate the role of LPA/LPA1 in fibroblast migration in IPF.

“This research proposal was selected from an incredibly strong portfolio of applications” said Thomas R. Martin, M.D., past president of ATS and chair of the ATS Research Program. “Through our partnership with the CPF and the ATS Scientific Review Committee we’re extremely pleased to be able to provide this funding to Dr. Tager.”

Dr. Tager is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School in the Pulmonary and Critical Care Division at MGH. His study was chosen by ATS/CPF Scientific Advisory Committee through a rigorous peer review application process. The award was selected from a series of applicants who submitted proposals in the areas of basic, clinical and translational research that focused on identifying new approaches to understand or treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

The ATS/CPF Partnership Grant for Pulmonary Fibrosis was established in 2006. The first grant through this partnership was a $100,000, two-year award to Sonye K. Danoff, M.D., Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Danoff is currently in year two of her research entitled “VEGF: Marker or mediator of lung injury in pulmonary fibrosis?” Her research is currently testing the hypothesis that locally elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the lungs of patients with autoimmune pulmonary fibrosis contribute to disease progression.

CPF and ATS intend to continue growing this important partnership by establishing new, $100,000, two-year grants to be awarded in December, 2008 to advance pulmonary fibrosis research efforts in the United States. Details will be announced during the American Thoracic Society’s annual meeting in May 2008.