Grant: Operating Grant

Disturbance of the way that energy is produced in the cell usually results in disease. There is evidence that disturbance in the energy production in the cells forming the blood vessels of the lungs results in a deadly disease called pulmonary hypertension. In this disease high blood pressure in the lungs results in too much straining of the right chambers of the heart which eventually fail, causing early death. Effective therapies in this disease are urgently needed. Here we plan to investigate how two important components of mitochondria (the energy producers on the cell) can contribute to pulmonary hypertension. We will use animals and human tissues to prove this idea and attempt to develop new therapies for this disease. If successful, we can then try to test them in humans. This is a new approach to this disease that holds promise for novel and effective therapies.