In mice, UIC identifies two protein targets for pulmonary hypertension

After genetically modified mice were exposed to Schistosoma mansoni eggs, researchers at UIC tracked their hearts and lungs with ultrasound, microscopy and blood-pressure tests. The team, led by Suellen D’Arc dos Santos Oliveira, also examined patient-derived samples and identified two proteins as possible targets in schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension.

The disease begins when pulmonary arteries thicken and restrict blood flow between the heart and lungs. The right ventricle responds by beating harder, raising pressure in those arteries. Schistosoma mansoni infects blood vessels in humans and rodents, lays eggs in the abdomen and can send them into organs such as the lungs. The associated form affects more than 1 million people worldwide and currently has no cure.

The molecular pattern was uneven: P2X7R was present at higher levels, while c-IAP2 was lower. P2X7R can fuel inflammation and cell death; c-IAP2 helps prevent cell death. When the researchers blocked P2X7R with brilliant blue G, some signs of the disease fell in mice, suggesting that the pathway merits further study as a potential therapeutic target.

Concretely, the study changes the research options rather than treatment in the clinic. P2X7R can now be tested as a possible intervention point, while the loss of c-IAP2 offers another clue to how the disease worsens. If larger translational studies support the finding, the targets could contribute to earlier diagnosis or new therapies. For patients today, the immediate practical effect is limited: the work does not establish a human treatment or diagnostic test.

Oliveira describes the result as an early step and wants to expand the work with more human samples. The cross-disciplinary team includes scientists from Rush University, the federal universities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Stanford University. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; its mouse findings still need to be tested in larger studies involving people.