Pulmonary fibrosis: Emerging targets and novel therapeutics

Pulmonary fibrosis, particularly idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is a progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease with limited curative therapies. This narrative review provides a concise overview of emerging molecular targets and novel therapeutic strategies for pulmonary fibrosis, including mesenchymal stem cell therapy and nanomaterial-based inhalation systems, focusing on their mechanisms, preclinical evidence, and clinical potential. We highlight critical challenges in translating preclinical discoveries into clinical benefit, such as animal model limitations and patient heterogeneity, and outline future research priorities. Notably, this review is not a systematic review; it does not include formal meta-analysis or a comprehensive literature search following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, which may have introduced selection bias. Thus, findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution.