PHenomenal Hope 5K 2018

The Chan Lab represented well at PH Pittsburgh 5K to build awareness and support for our patients with this devastating disease.

We also discovered that we have running talent! Looks like we will have to field a Pittsburgh Marathon team as well!

Overall Winner of 5K: Chad Kosanovich
Winner (Women) 19-25 yo old: Julia Koosner
Winner (Men) 19-25 yo old: Leonard Estephan

 

Imad al Ghouleh Receives Gilead Research Scholars Award in PAH

We are excited to announce that Imad al Ghouleh, PhD, has received the 2017 Gilead Research Scholars Award in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.  The mission of this program is to support innovative scientific research that will advance knowledge and understanding in the field of PAH. (Source)

Congratulations, Imad!

The Vascular Medicine Institute has been well-represented at the Gilead Research Scholars Program.  Other VMI researchers who have received this award include:

Charly Lai, PhD – 2016*
Eileen Bauer, PhD – 2014
Stephen Chan, MD, PhD – 2011
Enrico Novelli, MD, MS – 2011
Elena Goncharova, PhD – 2009

 

Click here to view a complete list of Gilead Research Scholar awardees.

*Dr. Lai declined the Gilead award after receiving the AHA Scientist Development Grant, an overlapping proposal

 

 

VMI Researchers Uncover Molecular Origins of Pulmonary Hypertension to Help Speed Treatment

VMI investigators Elena Goncharova, PhD, and Stephen Chan, MD, PhD study how pulmonary hypertension develops in order to design better therapeutic interventions to prevent, regress, or cure this devastating cardiopulmonary disease. During the past year, both investigators have made remarkable discoveries in the molecular pathways that cause remodeling of pulmonary vascular tissue and limit blood flow between the heart and lungs. These discoveries will help identify drug targets that are likely to stop or significantly slow the disease progression.

Dr. Goncharova and her laboratory discovered a new mechanism that drives pathogenic proliferation and impairs apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells in small pulmonary arteries. They found that HIPPO, a key growth suppressor cassette that prevents organ overgrowth, is dysfunctional in small pulmonary arteries of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. This results in activation of transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ, unleash other pro-proliferative pro-survival signaling pathways and increases cell proliferation and survival. The researchers identified ILK1 as a key molecule that “locks” HIPPO in inactive state and showed that pharmacological inhibition of ILK1 restores HIPPO function and stops the cyclical process of molecular activations that causes dangerous cell proliferation and apoptosis resistance in pulmonary hypertension patients’ arteries. Selective ILK inhibitors can now be further explored as a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention to reverse pulmonary hypertension.

Dr. Chan and his laboratory discovered a novel link between pulmonary vessel wall stiffening and the way that these blood vessels create energy and biomass. Dr. Chan’s group found that this link is primarily controlled by the activation of YAP and TAZ which in turn control an enzyme called glutaminase. Activation of glutaminase sets in motion a metabolic process that ends in dangerous cell proliferation in the arteries of pulmonary hypertension patients. The Chan lab identified the YAP inhibitor verteporfin and the glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 as therapeutic drug candidates when used, either singly or together, can impede the molecular pathways driving this deadly disease.

UPMC earns PHA Accreditation as a Center for Comprehensive Care

The UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program has earned accreditation by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) as a Center of Comprehensive Care.

 

<blockquote class="embedly-card"><h4><a href="http://insideupmc.upmc.com/comprehensive-pulmonary-hypertension-program-at-upmc-earns-national-recognition/">Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program at UPMC Earns National Recognition - UPMC & Pitt Health Sciences News Blog</a></h4><p>The Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program at UPMC has been added to the short list of programs nationwide to earn accreditation by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) as a Center of Comprehensive Care. UPMC is one of 39 medical centers nationally to receive the distinction for the quality of its pulmonary hypertension program.</p></blockquote><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script async src="//cdn.embedly.com/widgets/platform.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>