Human Anti-WISP1 Antibodies for Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fbrosis

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): New anti-fibrotic drugs are needed to treat Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). IPF is a progressive, chronically debilitating clinical syndrome with unknown etiology and a terminal outcome. IPF symptoms include persistent cough, progressive severe shortness of breath and decreased exercise capacity. Up to 200,000 Americans suffer from this disease with expected survival limited to 3-5 years. There are currently no approved US drugs leaving lung transplantation as the only option to extend life. IPF is initially characterized by alveolar epithelial cell injury followed by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and exaggerated fibroblast migration, activation and proliferation with extracellular matrix deposition and tissue remodeling. When a sufficient proportion of the IPF lung becomes scarred respiratory failure and comorbidities occur. WNT1- Inducible Signaling Protein-1 (WISP1; also known as CCN4) is an autocrine and paracrine extracellular stimulus for EMT. Stu