Gene therapies for pulmonary hypertension-from experimental trials to bedside aspects.

Accompanying the continuously deepening understanding of the mechanism of pulmonary hypertension that many genes are found to be aetiologically involved in its development, burgeoning literature manifest that gene therapies aimed at correcting these genetic defects have the ability to restore deficient pulmonary gene expression, over-express biologically active gene products, reverse established disease and regenerate pulmonary vasculature, and may constitute a promising therapeutic strategy for pulmonary hypertension. Therefore, to provide new information to basic scientists and clinical investigators, we present a review that attempts a clear description of the therapeutic potential of gene therapy in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Copyright 2009 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.