MicroRNA and lncRNA as the Future of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. In a short time, it leads to right ventricular failure and, consequently, to death. The most common causes of PH include left heart disease and lung disease. Despite the significant development of medicine and related sciences observed in recent years, we still suffer from a lack of effective treatment that would significantly influence the prognosis and prolong life expectancy of patients with PH. One type of PH is pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The pathophysiology of PAH is based on increased cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in the small pulmonary arteries, leading to pulmonary vascular remodeling. However, studies conducted in recent years have shown that epigenetic changes may also lie behind the pathogenesis of PAH. Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression that are not related to changes in the sequence of nucleotides in DNA. In addition to DNA methylation or histone modification, epigenetic research focuses on non-coding RNAs, which include microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Preliminary research results give hope that targeting epigenetic regulators may lead to new, potential therapeutic possibilities in the treatment of PAH.

Automated summary

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition characterized by increasing pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance. It is commonly caused by left heart disease or lung disease. Despite advancements in medicine, effective treatments to improve prognosis and life expectancy of PH patients are still lacking. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a subtype of PH, with pathophysiology involving increased cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis in small pulmonary arteries. Recent research suggests that epigenetic changes, such as modifications in non-coding RNAs, may play a role in the development of PAH, offering potential therapeutic targets.