Pulmonary Hypertension is a disease caused by the narrowing of the blood vessels in the lungs due to an extreme increase in the growth of the cells that make up the walls of the blood vessels. This increase in growth causes the blood vessels to narrow and make it harder for the heart to push blood through the lungs. Eventually, the heart can no longer push blood through the narrowed vessels and the individuals dies.
Evangelos Michelakis explains that the cells grow uncontrollably, in a manner like that of cancer cells, and they also express an insulin resistance, as seen with diabetes. These close molecular resemblances to diabetes and cancer have caused researchers to look for a link between these conditions. Previous work completed by Michelakis and his team had found that mitochondria, the portion of a cell that deals with breaking down food to create energy, take part in the development of pulmonary hypertension. It has been known that mitochondria also play role in the development of diabetes and the growth of cancer cells.
The involvement of mitochondria caused Michelakis to look at a protein called Sirtuin3 that is the main regulator for mitochondrial function. There were lab models for pulmonary hypertension, along with tissues for 160 patients, that were tested for the presence of Sirtuin 3. It was found that low levels of the protein activity occurred in patients and lab models with pulmonary hypertension. The lab models that did not have any Sirtuin3 all developed pulmonary hypertension and also developed diabetes and cancer, leading to the conclusion that all three of these diseases are related to the production of Sirtuin3. This research supposed the idea that pulmonary hypertension has a metabolic basis and will lead to other research on ways to prevent or cure pulmonary hypertension.
The researchers did an experiment with gene therapy on lab models where the models inhaled a virus of Sirtuin3 and found that the disease improved significantly two weeks later.The researchers have also found a variant Sirtuin3 gene that produces a defective protein may help doctors identify which patients are at risk for developing pulmonary hypertension. This research will lead to other ways to improve, or possibly prevent, pulmonary hypertension in patients. an
Original Article: Unlocking the secrets of pulmonary hypertension
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