Scientists have identified an initial therapeutic target with the potential to safeguard the heart in patients facing pulmonary hypertension. The findings were published in Science Developments.
A new study shows that levels of a protein named MCJ rise in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. Elevated MCJ was also observed in mice subjected to low oxygen and in pigs experiencing heart injury. The research reveals that MCJ production triggers a specific signaling pathway that gears the heart to function under hypoxic stress. Therapies that raise MCJ levels could help maintain heart performance during lung injury.
Persistent high pressure in the lung arteries forces the heart to work harder to push blood through the lungs, contributing to disease. The condition affects a small but significant segment of the population worldwide. Major risk factors include COPD, smoking, obesity, genetic susceptibility, and prolonged oxygen deficiency exposure. Symptoms often comprise breathlessness, dizziness, and episodes of fainting. Current treatments mainly target lowering pulmonary artery pressure but do not restore heart function, and heart failure remains the leading cause of death in pulmonary hypertension.
Earlier work by scientists suggested a potential strategy to reduce cardiovascular risk in diabetes by about forty percent.