Identification of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells as Novel Therapeutic Targets
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with increased vascular resistance, sustained contraction, and enhanced proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). The underlying idea of this project is that the currently limited treatments for PAH represent an unmet medical need for soldiers, veterans and those in the general population. We are testing the hypothesis that the discovery of novel (i.e., not previously recognized) G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)and their functional activity in the PASMCs from subjects with PAH can reveal new insights into pathophysiology and new therapeutic targets for PAH. Our approach is to isolate PASMCs from PAH subjects and controls, to define the expression and function of their complement of GPCRs, with the goal of identifying GPCRs that have known physiologic agonists and are uniquely expressed and/or prominently up-regulated in PAH-PASMCs and to define their potential as novel therapeutic targets for PAH.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1093624
Entities
People
- Paul Insel
Organizations
- University of California, San Diego