The gender-specific roles of macrophages in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Investigating the sex-dependent role of macrophage subtypes in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an uncommon but fatal condition where the blood pressure in the lungs is too high. The disease is driven by a progressive thickening of the blood vessels in the lung. As part of the disease process, cells from the immune system – called macrophages – are recruited into these blood vessels, but their precise role is unclear. Dr Allan Lawrie and his team have discovered that male mice genetically engineered to lack macrophages spontaneously develop PAH, while the females do not. Interestingly, in humans, three times more women than men have PAH, but men tend to have more severe disease with shorter life expectancy. Dr Lawrie’s findings suggest that macrophages might have a role in this gender difference. In this project, the team will try to determine the sex-specific role of macrophages in PAH. A better understanding of the role these cells play in development of PAH in both sexes is important for the development of long-awaited treatments for this disease.