The key role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension

In recent years, the process of the programmed cell death has gained much interest because it has important pathophysiological consequences contributing to the deletion of unwanted cells in the vessel watt, loss of pulmonary smooth muscle cells and therefore in reversing the pulmonary pressure. For the reason that most patients with pulmonary hypertension present with limited reversibility with vasodilators, antiremodeling approach for treatment appears to be feasible. Induction or enhancement of vascular smooth muscle cells apoptosis may be targeted to develop novel therapeutic approaches for pulmonary vascular remodeling in patients with pulmonary hypertension. This review summarizes the current mechanisms, investigate the roles and provide novel insights into the potential therapeutic value of apoptosis in the pulmonary artery remodeling of pulmonary hypertension. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.