Isidora Kraguljac

Research

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease where lung tissue is replaced by fibrotic scars, resulting in declining lung function. There is no cure; current treatments only slow progression and prognosis remains worse than most cancers. Improving drug effectiveness requires understanding barriers to treatment.

My PhD project investigates whether the fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) in IPF reduces fibroblast sensitivity to anti-fibrotic drugs. We study how specific features of fibrotic ECM influence drug response, using 2D and 3D in vitro models of increasing complexity that progressively incorporate lung ECM composition and mechanics. These models use primary fibroblasts and ECM derived from human lung tissue to closely replicate in vivo conditions.

Keywords:

Lung fibrosis, Fibroblasts, Extracellular matrix, in vitro models