HIPK2 and blood vessel remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Official title: HIPK2 signaling in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11261617 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing whether blocking the HIPK2 protein can reduce the abnormal growth of lung artery muscle cells and help people with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | February 20, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $351,647 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL166932-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261617 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (group 1 PAH), especially those willing to provide medical history or tissue samples or to travel to a study center, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with other types of pulmonary hypertension caused by left heart disease, lung disease, or blood clots, or those with advanced right-heart failure, may not benefit from this HIPK2-focused research.
What this research studies
I have pulmonary arterial hypertension and researchers are focusing on a protein called HIPK2 that is higher in the small lung arteries of people with PAH. They will examine HIPK2 in human lung tissue and in patient-derived pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells to see how it drives cell growth and resistance to cell death. The team will use genetic tools and drugs in cells and animal models to see if lowering HIPK2 can reverse arterial wall thickening. If the lab and animal work looks promising, it could point toward new treatments aimed at reversing vessel remodeling.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that reduce artery narrowing, ease symptoms, and slow or reverse disease progression in PAH patients.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting HIPK2 is a novel approach in PAH—HIPK2 has been implicated in cancer and other proliferative diseases, but its therapeutic targeting in PAH is largely untested beyond the investigators' preliminary data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kudryashova, Tatiana V — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Kudryashova, Tatiana V
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.