Respiratory medicine focuses on the airways and lungs, exploring everything from common infections like the flu to chronic conditions such as asthma and COPD. This vital field seeks to understand how we breathe and how to treat diseases that impact our ability to do so, often requiring rapid responses to emerging health threats.

On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint in this category directly from medRxiv, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve before formal publication. For each study, we provide both a plain-language overview for general understanding and a detailed technical summary for experts, making complex research on lung health immediately accessible to everyone.

Below are the latest papers in respiratory medicine, freshly summarized and ready for your review.

The Effect of Vitamin-D Supplementation on HDAC2 Levels in Stable COPD Patients

In a small experimental study of five stable COPD patients, three months of daily Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased serum HDAC2 levels and showed a non-significant trend toward improved pulmonary function, suggesting a potential anti-inflammatory effect despite the lack of statistically significant functional improvements.

Donastin, A., Irawan, D., Effendy, E., Iryawan, R. D. A., Nuari, N., Oktaviana, B. M., Yahya, D., Muhammad, A. R.2026-04-08📄 respiratory medicine

Potential Efficacy of Streptomycin in Amikacin-resistant Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex Pulmonary Disease

This study suggests that streptomycin remains a potential therapeutic alternative for amikacin-resistant *Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare* complex pulmonary disease because, unlike kanamycin, it does not exhibit cross-resistance with amikacin and is associated with distinct genetic mutations.

Kodama, T., Morimoto, K., Murase, Y., Aono, A., Furuuchi, K., Fujiwara, K., Ito, M., Ohe, T., Watanabe, F., Chikamatsu, K., Yoshida, S., Minato, Y., Tanaka, Y., Hiramatsu, M., Shiraishi, Y., Yoshiyama (…)2026-04-05📄 respiratory medicine

Pharmacological correction of CFTR improves systemic inflammation and lung disease in Cystic Fibrosis but does not correct a basic defect in lung repair

While CFTR modulator therapy significantly improves systemic inflammation, lung function, and radiological outcomes in Cystic Fibrosis patients, it fails to correct the underlying basal cell defect responsible for impaired lung repair.

Robinson, N. J., Hardisty, G. R., Gillan, J. L., Carajal Quisilema, R., Montes Gomez, A., Millar, D., Forbes, S. J., Gray, R. D.2026-03-13📄 respiratory medicine

Comparison of High-Resolution Computed Tomography Patterns in Adult with Cystic Fibrosis and Non- Cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis in a South Asian Country Bangladesh: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study

This retrospective study from Bangladesh demonstrates that adult patients with cystic fibrosis exhibit distinct high-resolution computed tomography patterns, specifically a higher prevalence of cystic morphology and mixed central-peripheral extension, compared to those with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, suggesting these radiologic features can aid in early diagnosis and treatment selection.

Majumder, S., Biswas, P., Chakrabortty, R., Ahmed, S., Rahman, M. A.2026-03-10📄 respiratory medicine

Hybrid HU-Z-Score Method for Early Detection of Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Proof-of-Concept Study Combining Volumetric and Density-Based CT Analysis

This proof-of-concept study introduces a hybrid HU-Z-score CT analysis method that detects early qualitative pulmonary fibrosis progression (tissue densification) before significant territorial expansion, offering a more sensitive tool for timely antifibrotic therapy initiation than traditional volume-based or functional criteria.

Trabadelo, H.2026-03-09📄 respiratory medicine

Baseline predictors of mortality in non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease - A retrospective cohort study at a tertiary centre in Malaysia

This retrospective cohort study of non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis interstitial lung disease patients in Malaysia identifies baseline forced vital capacity, age, specific disease subtypes, and notably ethnicity as independent predictors of mortality, with Chinese and Indian patients facing significantly higher risks compared to Malays.

Sia, L. C., Wong, C. K., Sivakumar, D., Chandran, D. M., Yeoh, K. L., Ling, S.-Y., Leong, W. L., Pang, Y.-K.2026-02-15📄 respiratory medicine