Patricia Inácio, PhD,  science writer—

A small group of stem cells may help repair the lungs of those with pulmonary hypertension (PH), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung conditions, according to a study. The body may recruit very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) from bone marrow to the bloodstream so they can reach areas…

Letairis (ambrisentan) was the most efficient, robust therapeutic among endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a study that compared the drug to three other therapies: Thelin (sitaxsentan), Tracleer (bosentan) and Opsumit (macitentan). The study, “Comparative efficacy and acceptability of endothelin receptor antagonists for…

The approved multiple-sclerosis treatment Tecfidera was seen to improve pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inhibit lung fibrosis in mice by targeting multiple signaling pathways in a recent study. The research, “Dimethyl Fumarate ameliorates pulmonary arterial hypertension and lung fibrosis by targeting multiple pathways,” was published in the journal…

A cohort study with Chinese patients identified systemic sclerosis (SSc) as the key underlying disease that significantly worsens the clinical outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The study “Clinical characteristics and survival of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with three major connective tissue diseases: A cohort study in…

A case report of a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patient who used an implanted hemodynamic monitor illustrates that improvements in pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricle afterload with a “simple therapy” like oral iron supplements are both possible and measurable. The study, “Hemodynamic response to treatment of iron deficiency anemia in pulmonary arterial hypertension:…

Sildenafil appears to treat pulmonary hypertension (PH) by reducing the recruitment of bone marrow (BM)-derived progenitor cells, cells now being seen as potential key drivers of lung remodeling and inflammation in diseases that include PH. The study, “Sildenafil attenuates hypoxic pulmonary remodelling by inhibiting bone marrow progenitor cells,” was published in the…

Researchers found a new mutation in a gene — called eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α kinase 4 (EIF2AK4)  — in members of a family with hereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH). This mutation represents a potential “second hit” that increases the likelihood of certain family members developing the disease. The study, “…

Tyvaso (treprostinil sodium), a drug approved for enhancing exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was reported in a recent study to be well tolerated and safe in routine clinical use. The study, “An observational study of inhaled-treprostinil respiratory-related safety in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension,” was published…

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) severity is associated with alterations in the heart’s metabolism, but a recent study showed that Opsumit (macitentan) can reduce these metabolic changes, lessening PAH severity and easing strain on the heart’s right ventricle. The study, “Effects of an endothelin receptor antagonist, Macitentan, on right ventricular substrate utilization and function…

Sounds produced in the heart, reworked using a classification algorithm based on an automated speech recognition, were analyzed and seen to lead to more accurate diagnoses of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients than those done by physicians listening to the same heart recordings, according to the study,  “Acoustic diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension: automated…

During their development, babies who will be born with Down syndrome have higher levels of anti-angiogenic factors in their lungs, impairing fetal lung vessel growth and potentially contributing to their developing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), researchers report. The study, “Increased Lung Expression of Anti-Angiogenic Factors in Down Syndrome: Potential Role in…

People with pulmonary arterial  hypertension (PAH) have higher than usual levels of a protein produced in cells in response to shock or stress — called heat shock protein 90 or HSP90 — and diminishing those levels helped to prevent pulmonary hypertension from progressing in a rat model of the disease, researchers reported.