Could bone-marrow transplantation offer a new treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension?

Defining the role of bone marrow-derived cells in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension– high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, is a debilitating condition. New methods to prevent and treat this condition are urgently needed. Understanding the genetic and molecular causes is central to achieving this aim. BHF Professor Nicholas Morrell and his team at the University of Cambridge have been awarded £216,000 over 3 years to look at what causes pulmonary arterial hypertension. They are building on previous research that identified how this disease may be due in part to abnormalities in bone marrow (which has an essential role in producing many types of blood cells). The team is focussing on an important protein called bone morphogenic protein type II receptor, or BMPR-II for short. People who are born with a genetic error affecting this protein are more likely to develop the inherited form of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The researchers think that BMPR-II is important for normal bone-marrow function and will try to confirm this by studying mice with genetic errors in BMPR-II. They will examine the bone marrow in these mice to identify where the abnormalities are. They will also see if a bone-marrow transplant in these mice can prevent or treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. Focussing on the role of the bone marrow will help researchers see if replacing affected marrow with healthy donor marrow via a transplant could be a worthwhile option for patients.