Activating the vitamin D receptor shows promise in controlling harmful cell growth linked to pulmonary hypertension, a major factor in disease progression and patient prognosis. Study: Vitamin D receptor and its antiproliferative effect in human pulmonary arterial hypertension . Image Credit: Shutterstock AI / Shutterstock.
com A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals the antiproliferative effects of the vitamin D receptor in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells collected from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). What is PAH? PAH is a multifactorial disease characterized by vascular remodeling that arises due to the uncontrolled proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle and endothelial cells. PAH often leads to thickening of the pulmonary arterial wall, which increases stress on the right ventricle.
This leads to hypertrophy and failure of the right ventricle and, as a result, premature death. Vitamin D deficiency is frequently observed in PAH patients and is associated with poor disease prognosis. Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, activates the vitamin D receptor, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of specific target genes.
The vitamin D receptor, expressed in endothelial and smooth muscle cells, is involved in numerous physiological processes within the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, including cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, control of vascular tone, immunomodulation, and reg.