Mutations in the BMPR2 gene alter the ratio of pro- and anti-death signals in cells lining the blood vessels, promoting cells destined to die to escape, which in turn culminates in a build-up of cells in blood vessels and their subsequent blockage, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The factor mediating this resistance to…
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Heart defects that develop before birth may lead to a variety of complications later in life, including pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to cardiologist Sanjay Gandhi, MD. However, he says, it is still not possible to predict if or when these complications will arise. Congenital heart defects (CHDs) occur when the…
People with polysplenia syndrome — a condition characterized by a “left-sidedness” on both sides of the body — have an increased risk for early development of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a Japanese study suggests. The study, titled “Polysplenia Syndrome as a Risk Factor for Early Progression of Pulmonary Hypertension,” was…
Resverlogix announced that it has received funding from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research for a Phase 2 clinical study investigating the safety and efficacy of its proprietary therapy apabetalone (RVX-208) as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Resverlogix will match the new funding, including in-kind…
Treatment with Opsumit (macitentan) can significantly improve the heart’s right ventricular function, reverse cardiac tissue remodeling, and reduce pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), preliminary results from a Phase 4 clinical trial show. The most recent data from the Phase 4 REPAIR trial (…
Regenerative cell therapy can induce significant improvements in key clinical features of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in animal models, a review study shows. The study’s findings suggest that such treatment may represent a suitable approach to treat PAH in humans. Still, further testing is necessary to demonstrate the safety and…
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” — Aristotle In today’s healthcare environment, an overwhelming percentage of resources are spent on treating diseases and their associated manifestations. While treatment of disease is an essential part of wellness, there is far more to being healthy than simply not being…
Estrogen, one of the major female sex hormones, has a protective effect in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by halting oxidative stress and collagen deposition, a rat study suggests. The study, “Effect of estrogen on right ventricular remodeling of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats and its mechanism,” was…
A Phase 3 clinical trial testing LIQ861 met its primary objective, showing that the investigational inhaled dry powder treprostinil formulation is safe and effective for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to clinical biopharmaceutical company Liquidia Technologies. Liquidia’s LIQ861 is an alternative to the current inhaled treprostinil treatment…
Madeline Collin, a 24-year-old activist with Gaucher disease, worries that patients like her will suffer deeply if Britain leaves the European Union (EU), as scheduled, at the end of this month. Collin is an expert on the subject. For her University of Bath dissertation, she analyzed Brexit’s long-term impact…
The first participant has been enrolled in a Phase 2 trial testing the investigational therapy levosimendan in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF). Ejection fraction refers to how much blood the heart’s left ventricle pumps out with each contraction. In PH-HFpEF, the…
With each new advance in medicine comes ethical dilemmas, from fertility treatments and newborn screening, to vaccinations, gene therapies and euthanasia. But rare diseases and the expensive therapies needed to treat them — particularly in an age of scarce economic resources — almost always entail “tragic choices,” warned Avraham Steinberg,…
