Investigating Extracellualr-matrix Derived Hydrogels from the Lungs of Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis as an In Vitro Disease Model

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), one of the most common forms of interstitial lung disease, is a poorly understood, chronic, and often fatal condition with only two FDA-approved medications. IPF is characterized by excessive matrix production that leads to the loss of lung architecture and physiology, eventually resulting in death. The primary disease-causing cell in IPF is the fibroblast, res…