This suggests that while certain genetic factors place an individual at risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis, lung injury substantially contributes to the disease. That finding raises the possibility that an intrinsic inability to repair injured lung tissue may be the fundamental biologic defect that ultimately results in fibrosis and lung collapse.

This is a terrible disease whose causes have remained unclear and for which no treatment exists, ... Our findings provide convincing support for a genetic basis. But it's more than that -- development of the disease takes a second hit. One such hit is cigarette smoking.

Home is home. It's hard to throw something like that away.

We really want to thank everyone for their kindness and generosity, ... even those who aren't helping us directly.

While the importance of cigarette smoking in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis remains controversial, case control studies among patients with the disease support the current findings in the familial form of the disease as well as sporadic forms, and consistently indicate that cigarette smoking is a risk factor for the development of the disease.

This whole tour has been like a family-based thing, ... You can't walk down the hall without saying hi to everybody and talking. It's been our first summer tour, and it's been beautiful.

Therapies that have been tested in clinical trials have not proved effective.