An RNA Sensor Protects against Pulmonary Hypertension

Advances and applications of biosensors in pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious disease characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure, with its prevalence and incidence continuously increasing, posing a threat to the lives of many patients worldwide. Due to the complex etiology of PH and the lack of specificity in clinical manifestations, there is currently a lack of effective and specific methods for early diagnosis in clinical practice. Biosensors hold significant promise for the early detection, therapeutic monitoring, prognostic evaluation, and personalized treatment of PH, owing to their rapid, sensitive, and highly selective characteristics. The rapid development of various types of biosensors, such as electrochemical biosensors, optical biosensors, microfluidic biosensors, and wireless biosensors, combined with the use of nanomaterials, makes the rapid and accurate detection of PH-related biomarkers possible. Despite the broad application prospects of biosensors in the field of PH, challenges remain in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, stability, and regulation. This article reviews the main pathophysiological mechanisms and commonly used biomarkers of PH, the types and principles of biosensors, and summarizes the progress of biosensors in PH research as well as the current challenges, in order to promote further in-depth research and the development of biosensor technology, thereby improving the diagnosis and treatment effects of PH. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

RNA-Binding Proteins in Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening disease characterized by significant vascular remodeling and aberrant expression of genes involved in inflammation, apoptosis resistance, proliferation, and metabolism. Effective therapeutic strategies are limited, as mechanisms underlying PH pathophysiology, especially abnormal expression of genes, remain unclear. Most PH studies on gene expression have focused on gene transcription. However, post-transcriptional alterations have been shown to play a critical role in inflammation and metabolic changes in diseases such as cancer and systemic cardiovascular diseases. In these diseases, RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have been recognized as important regulators of aberrant gene expression via post-transcriptional regulation; however, their role in PH is less clear. Identifying RBPs in PH is of great importance to better understand PH pathophysiology and to identify new targets for PH treatment. In this manuscript, we review the current knowledge on the role of dysregulated RBPs in abnormal mRNA gene expression as well as aberrant non-coding RNA processing and expression (e.g., miRNAs) in PH.