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Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, irreversible and ultimately fatal disease characterized by progressive scaring (fibrosis) of the lungs. Affecting older adults, it targets the tissue between the lungs alveoli and the bloodstream, severely compromising gas exchange leading to worsening dyspnoea (difficulty breathing). It is associated with a poor prognosis, with several retrospective longitudinal studies suggesting a median survival of 2-3 years from the time of diagnosis (1). There is no known cause of IPF (thus the term “idiopathic” – a disease/condition which arises spo …

Danka Kozareva PhD Candidate, University College Cork The generation of neurons from stem cells The process of generating functional neurons from stem cells in the central nervous system (CNS) was believed to occur strictly during embryonic development and the early postnatal days in mammals (Ming and Song, 2011). A century ago this idea was challenged with the discovery of adult neurogenesis. Ezra Allen was the first to demonstrate that mitosis persisted in the lateral walls of adult albino rats (Allen, 1912). Several decades later Altman and Das (1965) followed up this research and determined that neurogenesis oc …