Can we target the cancer-like growth of cells to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension?

Investigation of selective HDAC6 inhibitor, C1A, as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease with no cure where high blood pressure in the lungs puts strain on the right side of the heart and leads to heart failure. PAH involves the over-production of cells in the lungs’ blood vessels, blocking the blood flow and further increasing blood pressure in the lungs. The mechanism of the over-production of cells in PAH is very similar to how cancerous tumours develop. These researchers are investigating whether a drug currently being developed as a cancer medicine could be a long-awaited treatment for PAH. Professor Lan Zhao and her team previously found that a molecule called HDAC6 is present in higher-than-normal levels in the cells of the lungs of people with PAH. HDAC6 is already known to be involved in the over-production of cells in some cancers, and a molecule that blocks HDAC6 – called C1A – is currently being investigated as a treatment for solid tumours. In this project, the team will examine whether C1A blocks HDAC6 in human lung cells in the lab and in rats with PAH – and whether this improves the condition. These preclinical studies are an important step towards a clinical trial of C1A in patients with PAH, who so urgently need effective treatments.