Understanding how pericytes affect blood vessel changes in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Official title: Pericyte contribution to capillary remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11001511 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain supportive cells in your tiny blood vessels, called pericytes, are important for preventing high blood pressure in the lungs, which can lead to heart problems, and it hopes to find new ways to treat this condition.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $718,270 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171405-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11001511 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension, particularly those with idiopathic forms of the disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension caused by known factors, such as congenital heart disease or chronic lung disease, may not benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of pericytes, which are crucial cells that support capillaries, in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The study focuses on how the loss of these cells leads to harmful changes in small blood vessels, contributing to increased lung pressure and heart failure. By using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and creating vascular organoids from patient-derived cells, the researchers aim to uncover the mechanisms behind these changes. This could lead to new therapeutic strategies that target the capillary bed in PAH.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative treatments that prevent or reverse the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
How similar studies have gone: While the role of pericytes in vascular remodeling is an emerging area of interest, this specific focus on capillary remodeling in PAH is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested in prior studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yuan, Ke — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Yuan, Ke
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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.