Changes in airway platelet population and morphology in a murine model of lung fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by increased deposition of extra cellular matrix and scarring of lung tissue over an extended period. There are currently only two approved treatments for pulmonary fibrosis, both of which slow down the decline in lung function in some patient cohorts. There is a need to discover and evaluate new targets to develop novel treatments for IPF. It is hypothesized that platelets may be playing a role in the development of IPF. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the platelet population and/or morphology in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was altered in fibrotic mice and to determine if any changes in platelet population or morphology correlated with expression of standard preclinical fibrosis biomarkers.