{
  "id": 5174051,
  "title": "Targeting two proteins to prevent pulmonary hypertension",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/targeting-two-proteins-to-prevent-pulmonary-hypertension",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-02T21:20:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-proteins-pulmonary-hypertension.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have discovered two protein targets that could prevent the life-threatening condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This disease, which can be caused by a parasite called Schistosoma mansoni laying eggs in the abdomen, afflicts over 1 million people worldwide and currently has no cure. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that an imbalance in two proteins - P2X7R and c-IAP2 - is linked to the disease. In mice exposed to Schistosoma mansoni eggs, researchers observed higher levels of P2X7R, a protein that can cause inflammation and cell death, and lower levels of c-IAP2, a protein that prevents cell death. By blocking P2X7R with a compound called brilliant blue G, they were able to reduce some disease symptoms in the mice, suggesting that targeting this pathway could be a promising therapeutic approach. Lead author Suellen D Arc dos Santos Oliveira, an assistant professor at UIC, hopes to expand the study to include more human samples and emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary team in tackling such a complex disease.",
  "summary": "UIC researchers have identified two therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension, an as-yet-incurable disease that can be caused by a parasite laying eggs in the abdomen. The targets represent an opportunity to diagnose, prevent and treat the life-threatening condition. The study is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}