José Lopes, PhD,  managing science editor—

Measuring the levels of an inflammatory protein known as HMGB1 may help diagnose persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) and monitor its progression, according to a study in patients and in a rat model. The research, “High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) as biomarker…

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who carry a specific mutation in the RNF213 gene have poor clinical outcomes and worse response to combination treatments, according to a study from Japan. The study, “Poor outcomes in carriers of the RNF213 variant (p.Arg4810Lys) with pulmonary arterial…

The levels of survivin protein in the blood may help determine if surgery to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) will be successful in people with congenital heart disease (CHD), according to new research. Findings in a rat model of PAH also suggest that the amount of survivin…

Patients with group 2 pulmonary hypertension — those with PH due to left heart disease — show increased platelet respiration, which is associated with worse right ventricular function, according to new research. The study, “Alterations in platelet bioenergetics in Group 2 PH-HFpEF patients,” was published in…

A Phase 2a trial testing the potential oral treatment rodatristat ethyl in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has begun dosing, its developer announced. Rodatristat ethyl (or RVT-1201), the lead therapy candidate of Altavant Sciences, is an inhibitor of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase. The therapy is designed to…

The heart rhythm of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) has limited ability to adjust to changes, compared to unaffected people used as controls in a new pilot study. The findings also revealed that assessing heart rhythm complexity (HRC) parameters may improve the ability to predict PH. The research, “…

A tiny RNA molecule known as microRNA-410 (miR-410) was seen to slow the proliferation of endothelial cells in the lung and ease pulmonary vascular remodeling in a mouse model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). These findings suggest that raising miR-410 levels in the lung may offer a way of…

Left heart dysfunction may play an important role in severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and should be monitored to optimize treatment, according to new research. The study, “Impact of Severe Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension on the Left Heart and Prognostic Implications,” was published in the Journal…

Use of sequential combination therapy focused on changes in exercise capacity improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a new study. The research, “Medium-term health-related quality of life in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with…

Patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) have greater levels and activity of a chloride channel known as TMEM16A, which contributes to disease-related changes in pulmonary cells, according to a new study. The findings also revealed that long-term treatment with benzbromarone, a TMEM16A blocker, induces relaxation of blood…

A type of abnormality in small blood vessels of the eyes, called retinal vascular tortuosity, may provide a non-invasive way to detect alterations in lung circulation in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a new study. The research, “Retinal Vascular Tortuosity, a New Feature…

Increased levels of a protein called LRP1 may lead to blood vessel remodeling in pulmonary hypertension (PH) by causing changes in pulmonary artery cells that favor their proliferation, a study suggests. The study, “LRP1 promotes synthetic phenotype of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in pulmonary hypertension,”…