Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a fatal disease characterized by chronic inflammation and fibrosis of lung tissue, with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF) being the most common. At present, fibrosis cannot be reversed, and the primary drugs used in clinical practice to slow down disease progression are pirfenidone and nintedanib. However, lung function deteriorates rapidly once the treatment is discontinued. Lung transplantation is the only curative treatment for PF, but the scarcity of donors and high risks significantly limit the feasibility of the procedure. In recent years, research has focused on the pathogenesis of PF, including epithelial injury and impaired repair, dysregulation of the TGF-β/Wnt signaling pathways, and mitochondrial dysfunction, providing new directions for targeted therapy. Emerging strategies, including targeted signaling pathway inhibitors, stem cell therapy, immune modulation, lncRNA regulation, and nanodelivery systems, have demonstrated potential therapeutic value of PF. However, clinical translation still faces challenges, and further optimization of treatment strategies is needed to achieve disease reversal. Future research should also explore the molecular mechanisms of various therapeutic approaches in depth. This article systematically introduces the research progress of PF treatment at home and abroad, and provides certain reference for new drug development.

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