Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a relentless fibrotic disorder leading to an irreversible damage of the lungs, chronic respiratory failure, and death after a median of 3 years following the diagnosis [1]. The landscape in IPF has recently been profoundly modified in a number of ways. The disease process, once considered as a chronic inflammation and treated with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs, is now viewed as uncontrolled wound healing resulting from injury to the alveolar epithelium [2]. Epidemiological studies have showed that IPF is more common than previously appreciated in the elderly population [3], with rising prevalence and mortality [4, 5]. The role of tobacco smoking is better appreciated [6]. The underlying genetic predisposition to IPF is progressive...