Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

In Vivo Nanovector Delivery of a Heart-specific MicroRNA-sponge
Published on: June 15, 2018
miRNAs in PAH: biomarker, therapeutic target or both?
Jolyane Meloche1, Aude Pflieger1, Mylène Vaillancourt1
1Pulmonary Hypertension Group, Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et de Pneumologie de Québec, Department of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City G1V 4G5, Canada.
Abstract:
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to right ventricular hypertrophy and failure. There is a need to find new biomarkers to detect PAH at its early stages and also for new, more effective treatments for this disease. miRNAs have emerged as key players in cardiovascular diseases and cancer development and progression and, more recently, in PAH pathogenesis. In this review, we focus on the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for PAH.
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...

