Pulmonary sarcoidosis is a lung disease characterized by granulomas -- tiny clumps of immune cells that form in response to inflammation. It's the most inflammatory of the interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), a family of conditions that all involve some level of inflammation and fibrosis, or scarring, of the lungs. In the U.S., pulmonary sarcoidosis affects around 200,000 patients. The cause is unknown, and no new treatments have been introduced in the past 70 years. Scientists now characterized a protein, HARSWHEP, that can soothe the inflammation associated with sarcoidosis by regulating white blood cells. Reducing inflammation slows the disease's progression and results in less scarring. A phase 1b/2a clinical trial of efzofitimod, a therapeutic form of HARSWHEP, showed promising results.