AI Simulates Lungs for IPF Drug

FEATURED RESEARCH

Virtual Lung Models Offer New Way to Optimize Pulmonary Drug Delivery

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) affects roughly 3 million people globally, progressively scarring lung tissue and severely impairing breathing. With no cure available, new therapies that target affected lung tissue are urgently needed.

Digital lung twins in drug discovery: A recent study published in Nature Communications highlights Ebenbuild’s digital lung simulation technology, Twinhale, and its groundbreaking role in pulmonary fibrosis research.

For the first time, digital twins of IPF-affected lungs were used to simulate how an inhaled therapeutic, PRS-220, disperses within diseased lung tissue.

Twinhale used real-world CT scans and physiological data to create precise lung models, providing detailed insights into aerosol drug delivery.

These digital models showed how effectively PRS-220 penetrates the lungs, demonstrating its potential advantages over traditional oral or systemic treatments.

Why it matters: Traditional drug trials for lung diseases require extensive, costly clinical testing to understand medication dispersion in diseased tissue.

Ebenbuild’s simulations significantly reduced the need for these initial studies by accurately predicting drug distribution within minutes.

What's next? Digital lung models represent a promising tool for faster, safer drug discovery.

Ebenbuild plans to expand its digital twin approach to other respiratory diseases, accelerating new therapies and helping patients access more precise treatments sooner.

For more details: Full Article Clinical Trail ID: NCT05473533

Brain Booster

Select the right answer! (See explanation below)

Opinion and Perspectives

HOSPITAL AI ADOPTION

Texas Children’s Leverages AI to Improve Staff Morale and Patient Care

Texas Children’s Hospital is reporting major successes using AI to improve operations and patient care. According to Myra Davis, the hospital’s Chief Information and Innovation Officer, AI has quickly evolved from futuristic tech to an essential healthcare tool.

Employee recognition transformed: Previously, Texas Children’s manually reviewed patient surveys to identify employees praised for exceptional care, recognizing only 23 staff members over three months. This recognition, such as congratulatory emails or team shout-outs, significantly boosts staff morale and job satisfaction.

A new AI tool automated this process, identifying 1,303 employees, a 7,000% increase. About 31% were first-time recipients, providing an immediate lift to workplace engagement.

“The results were astounding,” said Myra Davis, noting the major boost in employee morale.

Cutting doctor workloads: Texas Children’s also implemented Epic’s augmented response AI to ease physician workloads.

The AI suggests responses to patient messages, reducing the time clinicians spend replying manually.

A pilot with 30 providers showed a 50% reduction in message review time and a 46% cut in drafting time, freeing doctors to focus more on patient care.

AI's practical future: Texas Children’s continues exploring AI applications, such as remote monitoring and natural language processing, looking to streamline administrative tasks and enhance patient experiences.

“Innovation doesn’t always mean new bells and whistles,” Davis emphasized. "It's about solving meaningful problems with digital tools that directly enhance patient care."

For more details: Full Article

Top Funded Startups

Exclusive - State of Healthcare AI Brief

MONTHLY REPORT

March's AI healthcare funding, policy changes, and emerging trends

I’m going to try something different this month (format-wise), given the feedback with these monthly.

There’s so much news and progress each month that even I’m having a hard time keeping up, but these briefs are meant to summarize the funding and happenings each month.

With that said, AI healthcare startups raised $1.8 billion in March.

This month was a big month for drug discovery companies, and for the first time since we’ve been writing these briefs, the US didn’t completely dominate the funding rounds.

Access Our Report: Full Review

Product Pipeline

SURGICAL GUIDANCE

Proprio Receives FDA Clearance for First AI Platform That Measures Surgical Progress in Real-Time

Proprio has received its second FDA 510(k) clearance for Paradigm, the first AI surgical guidance platform that lets surgeons track intraoperative progress in real-time, starting with leading centers like Duke Health and UW Medicine.

By offering 3D visualization and segmental measurement without radiation, Paradigm allows surgeons to adjust on the fly, improving precision and cutting delays.

This means fewer revision surgeries, shorter procedures, and better outcomes for patients, while also enabling a new generation of surgical training through a rich, AI-driven data platform.

For more details: Full Article

Policy and Ethics

MEDICARE AND AI

Dr. Oz Proposes AI Avatars as Cheaper Alternative to Frontline Healthcare

In his first all-staff town hall as head of Medicare and Medicaid, Dr. Mehmet Oz promoted AI avatars as cheaper alternatives to frontline healthcare workers, suggesting a $2-per-hour virtual visit could replace a $100 doctor appointment.

While he claimed patients rate AI care equal to or better than human doctors, experts argue that over-reliance on unregulated AI could devalue human care and erode trust in patient-provider relationships.

Oz’s remarks, paired with his history of promoting unproven treatments, raise alarms about the ethical direction of CMS under his leadership, especially in a system responsible for caring for the nation’s most vulnerable.

For more details: Full Article

Byte-Sized Break

📢 Three Things AI Did This Week

• An AI-generated video mocking Trump’s tariffs by depicting sad, overweight American sweatshop workers has gone viral in China, highlighting global skepticism as the U.S.-China trade war intensifies with escalating retaliatory tariffs. [Link]

• Stanford’s 2025 AI Index is out, offering a data-driven snapshot of global AI trends across performance, policy, economics, education, and responsible use. [Link]

• Fujitsu’s new ultrasound-AI machine, Sonofai, scans whole frozen tuna in 12 seconds to measure fattiness, no cutting needed. Launching in Japan for $207K, it's aimed at industrial fish processors, with global expansion planned. [Link]

Have a Great Weekend!

Trivia Answer: C) Laughing regularly

A good laugh is surprisingly good for your lungs. Laughing involves deep inhalation and strong exhalation, which helps ventilate the lungs, clears out stale air, and exercises the diaphragm.

It can even boost mood and lower stress, which indirectly supports respiratory health. The other options may sound helpful, but none have the lung-loving evidence that a good chuckle does!