Investigating mechanisms and proteins driving silicosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Claudia Sim investigated two incurable lung scarring diseases: silicosis, caused by inhaling silica dust in occupational settings, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Claudia developed innovative methods to analyse lung fluid and cells from silicosis patients, revealing distinct proteomic signatures and quantifiable proportions of silica-containing cells linked to reduced lung function. Together, these features could aid in differential diagnosis of silicosis. Claudia also developed a translational model of silicosis using human lung tissue that will be valuable in studying mechanisms causing scarring in the lung, and potential treatments for this incurable disease. Using advanced proteomic analysis techniques, Claudia validated a method for inducing disease-relevant scarring in human lung tissue, establishing a robust and translational platform for evaluating new therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.