The following is background research to answer if lung scar tissue can be healed. This is a relevant question with the COVID-19 virus and concerns that after recovery from the virus, lung function may be impaired due to scar tissue in the lungs from damage done.

At the time of this writing, there were over 457,000 listed as having recovered from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Below is a collection of claims about healing scar tissue with sources. While you may not understand all of the science, if you can read through these notes, a picture of how the body fights invaders and repairs damage begins to emerge.

As always, claims may or may not be true. Follow links and do your own additional research to understand the risks, benefits and other issues before taking action.

Question: Can Lung Scar Tissue Be Healed?

Fibrosis itself is scar tissue. {NIH}

Fibrosis, also known as Fibrotic scarring, is a pathological wound healing in which connective tissue replaces normal parenchymal tissue to the extent that it goes unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodelling and the formation of permanent scar tissue. {Wiki}

The book “Lung Connective Tissue: Location, Metabolism, and Response to Injury” says ozone has been noted as as an inducer of pulmonary (lung) fibrosis. {GoogleBooks}

Around our late 20’s our bodies begin to produce a diminishing output of enzymes and by the time we reach our 40’s we produce very little enzymes.  {NIH}

Natural enzymes can eliminate and prevent scar tissue and fibrosis. {Tbyil}

Enzymes are catalysts, a class of proteins that assist in facilitating a variety of biological processes from nutrient circulation to waste elimination and prevention of infection. Over 3,000 have been identified and experts say about 50,000 more have yet to be identified. {GenF20P}

Researchers have shown that the ability of the body to produce enzymes starts to slump as early as age 20. Your enzyme level could be down by about 25 percent by age 40, compared to the peak level it was when you were still very young. {GenF20P}

However, it may be that with age, we learn to stop producing excess enzymes. “For many enzyme molecules, their synthesis may be decreased with age; however, their turnovers are also lowered, so that apparent enzyme unit numbers, and thus their activities, can be maintained marginally at young levels even in old age.” {NIH}

One reason enzyme production lowers with age is that hypochloric acid production drops with aging. Numerous studies have shown that hydrochloric acid secretion declines with advancing age. {NutrReview}

Hypochloric acid is essential for stimulating digestive enzymes in the stomach.

A chronic lack of stomach acid, known as achlorhydria, can lead to stomach cancer if left untreated. {LiveStrong}

Heartburn, a burning sensation in the chest caused by the regurgitation of bile through the stomach into the lower esophagus, is a frequent symptom of low gastric acid. The traditional approach of treating heartburn is to suppress gastric acid by taking antacids or alkalizers. This approach is the opposite of what should often be done, and in many cases only worsens the problem by suppressing gastric acidity when it is needed and promoting it (rebound phenomenon) when it is unnecessary. {NutriRev}

As a result of diminishing enzyme production, our bodies are less and less able to reduce the over abundance of fibrin it deposits in nearly everything from simple cuts, to the inside of our internal organs and blood vessels. {miracleii-4u}

Fibrinogen is a provisional matrix protein of the coagulation system that following proteolytic cleavage by the protease thrombin polymerizes to form fibrin, the structural basis of the blood clot. Fibrin polymer formation at sites of vessel injury is critical to normal hemostasis. However, fibrin deposition within damaged tissues is also a common pathological feature of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. {NIH}

Data suggests fibrin deposition within inflamed tissues actively contributes to disease pathogenesis. A direct link of fibrin(ogen) to the regulation of inflammation is the ability of fibrin(ogen) to serve as a ligand for cell-surface receptors, particularly integrins. Engagement of fibrin(ogen) by the leukocyte integrin receptor αMβ2 appears to be a common and fundamental event driving local inflammation.

Fibrin and fibrinogen form when there is tissue damage, for example, from microbial attack. Fibrin(ogen) and proteases controlling its deposition and clearance, including (pro)thrombin and plasmin(ogen), have powerful roles in driving acute and reparative inflammatory pathways that affect the spectrum of tissue injury, remodeling, and repair. {AshPub}

Working at the level of host containment and/or local immune modulation, host fibrin(ogen) has often been shown to impede bacterial success in settings as divergent as S. aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Yersinia pestis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus pyogenes infections. {PubMed}

Eliminating fibrin(ogen)-αMβ2 interactions significantly limits the progression of multiple inflammatory diseases, including arthritis, without compromising the ability of fibrinogen to function in coagulation. {NIH}

Women frequently develop conditions such as fibrocystic breast disease, uterine fibroids, adhesions, and endometriosis.

Men and women alike grow arterial sclerotic plaque (which is scar tissue). We are all also prone to have fibrin begin to spider its way into our internal organs, reducing the organs size and function over time.

As we age, our wounds heal with thicker, less pliable, weaker and more visible scars.

Peppermint is used to aid the various processes of digestion due to its antibacterial and gastric-acid-promoting effects. Peppermint also aids digestive function by combating gas, increasing the flow of bile, and healing the stomach and liver. {NutriReview}

Chewing food well and taking smaller bites can eliminate symptoms associated with low stomach acid and help maintain a positive level in your stomach. {HealthLine}

Avoid processed foods and sugars as these “can cause inflammation in your stomach, decrease acid activity, and trigger acid reflux symptoms.” {HealthLine}

Eat Fermented vegetables such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles as these can naturally improve your stomach acid levels. {HealthLine}

“Ginger stimulates the production of bile and so as such it’s a beneficial digestive aid. But if you don’t have anything in your stomach, it can sometimes cause enough gastric stimulation that you can get some digestive distress” The Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham {FoxNews}

By replacing lost enzymes we can help control and reduce scar tissue and fibrosis, thus preventing many of the problems associated with lack of enzymes and excess fibrin. {CureZone}

Even old scar tissue can be dissolved and “eaten away” from surgical wounds, pulmonary fibrosis, kidney fibrosis and even keloids years after their formation.

In clinical studies injecting interferon decreased the size of a keloid scar by 50% in 9 days. {NIH}

Interferons are proteins produced by tumor cells or host cells that are infected with viruses, bacteria and other unknown nucleic acids. {Drugs}

Interferon alphas are used to treat viral infections (chronic hepatitis, human papillomavirus) and treating cancer (hairy cell leukemia, AIDS related – Kaposi sarcoma, malignant melanoma). Interferon betas are used to treat or slow down the progression of multiple sclerosis. Interferon gamma is used to treat chronic granulomatous disease. {Drugs}

The family of cytokines known as type I interferon (IFN) are key components of the innate immune system responsible for broad cellular antimicrobial activity in response to primary infection, and they also help link innate and adaptive immune responses (Biron 2001).

Getting adequate selenium (plentiful in foods like oysters, lobsters, crabs and clams) increased immune cell production of proteins called cytokines in a British study of 22 adults. {unreferenced NBC News claim}

Selenium supplements augmented the cellular immune response through an increased production of interferon γ and other cytokines, an earlier peak T cell proliferation, and an increase in T helper cells. Humoral immune responses were unaffected. {OUP}

Though doctors in the United States are only recently becoming aware of the benefits of added enzymes, doctors in Europe and Asia have been administering enzymes for decades.

Among the best enzymes for removal of scar tissue are serrapeptase and nattokinase.

Chymotypsin and pancreatin are considered to be especially valuable against cancer tumors, especially pancreatic cancer tumors.

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme derived from a species of bacteria originally found in the intestines of silkworms.

Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme, which means that it breaks down protein into smaller components (peptides and amino acids) that the body can re-use. {WakeWorld}

Studies have shown that serrapeptase reduces scar tissue, improves tissue healing and significantly reduces inflammation.

Serrapeptase also has the unique ability to digest non-living tissue that is a by-product of the healing response without harming living tissue.

Serrapeptase is used to dissolve non-living tissues to include: scar tissue, fibrosis, blood clots, cysts and arterial plaque. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory agent against Sinusitis and for thinning mucous secretion and as an agent against varicose veins and fibrocystic breasts.

One review of five studies aimed to identify and confirm the anti-inflammatory effects of serrapeptase compared to other drugs after the surgical removal of wisdom teeth {NIH}.

Individuals suffering from sinus infections have been benefited by serrapeptase. It has been known to dissipate sinus pressure and clears the cavities. {HealthHearty}

Serrapeptase has very beneficial effects in joint inflammation, arthritis, fibroids, excessive blood coagulation, respiratory conditions, mucus excess, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibrocystic breast disease. {WakeWorld}

It is believed that serrapeptase can play a key role in dissolving the outer protective layers of cancer cells and tumors to enable the immune system and other cancer fighters to better attack the cancer. {ResearchGate}

Serratiopeptidase may be particularly effective for those who have lung problems, as it clears out all of the inflammation, mucus and dead/scar tissue. {Journal(pdf)}

Clearing away problem tissues enables the body’s own natural healing system to be able to better replace the bad tissue with healthy tissue and result in better lung function.

Serrapeptase also helps eliminate old scar tissue by slowly digesting all of the dead tissue/scar tissue so that it can be replaced as needed with healthy tissue {WebMD}

Serrapeptase is particularly sensitive to a low pH, thus the supplement versions which are enterically coated are considered superior. {PulmonaryFlow}