Anticytokine approaches in pulmonary fibrosis: bringing factors into focus

The prognosis of pulmonary fibrosis is poor and current therapies inadequate. Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disease leads us to expect that inhibitors of cytokine and polypeptide growth factor will provide novel therapeutic agents. This paper outlines the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis and concludes that there are compelling reasons to explore anticytokine therapeutic approaches. It also proposes criteria that will enable us to evaluate such agents in vivo and suggests approaches which might overcome the obstacles presented by control mechanisms which recruit a multiplicity of factors.