Jason Hong, M.D.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating and incurable disease characterized by abnormal narrowing of blood vessels within the lungs, ultimately leading to failure of the heart to pump blood to the lungs. A clear understanding of which cells and which genes are responsible for PAH is lacking but is critically needed to develop more effective therapies. We will use cutting-edge single cell techniques to better understand the behavior of the different types of cells that are found in the lungs and circulating blood of people with PAH compared to people without PAH. We will then use this knowledge to find and test an existing drug predicted by computer-based algorithms to reverse the abnormal behavior of the cell types most involved in PAH. Overall, this study will offer a more comprehensive understanding of the cell landscape in the lungs and blood of PAH patients and will identify potential drugs as novel therapies for PAH patients.

Supported by the Mary Fuller Russell Fund