Pulmonary hypertension is an acute lung disease which affects the right side of the heart, leading to increased blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, since the artery walls become thickened. Research work is going on worldwide to discover the ultimate therapy for pulmonary hypertension.

Scientists at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, conducted a joint research work on the FoxM1 gene, which would stimulate the production of novel drugs to reverse the effects of vascular remodeling and cure pulmonary hypertension.

It was observed that the damaged endothelial cells inside the walls of arteries would discharge multiple growth factors, which would activate the FoxM1 gene ultimately leading to pulmonary hypertension via varied pathways.

But if the FoxM1 gene gets deleted, the artery walls would remain thinner which would control the blood pressure and improve the functioning of the right heart. This was the manner through which the scientists were looking out for the compound against FoxM1 gene to treat pulmonary hypertension.

The lead research investigator Dr. Zhiyu Dai from The Manne Research Institute said, “We will now focus on developing new drugs that will inhibit the FoxM1 gene and hopefully improve outcomes for patients with pulmonary hypertension"