Could miR-150 prevent or treat pulmonary arterial hypertension?

miR-150 as a regulator of endothelial function in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Dr Beata Wojciak Stothard and her team at Imperial College London are studying pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a severe disease which begins when cells lining the inner surface of lung blood vessels, called endothelial cells, become damaged. As a result, lung blood vessels narrow and blood pressure rises in the arteries supplying blood to the lungs, often causing heart failure. There are currently no treatments for PAH. Dr Stothard has discovered that levels of miR-150, which is a member of a group of molecules called microRNAs, fall dramatically in severe PAH and are linked to poor survival. Dr Stothard thinks this could explain the endothelial cell damage, because miR-150 is involved in many cell growth and repair processes in cells affected in PAH. In this project, she will genetically block miR-150 in lung endothelial cells to find out if low levels of the molecule contribute to PAH development. She’ll find out if these cells are less able to repair themselves, if there is more inflammation and if they cause lung blood vessels to narrow. Dr Stothard will also deliver miR-150 to PAH lung arteries to find out if it can repair endothelial cells and prevent the disease from developing. This research will reveal if miR-150 could be controlled as a way to prevent or treat PAH.