Innovative Approaches in Pulmonary Hypertension Prevention and Treatment Using Natural Products Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic, progressive cardio-pulmonary disorder characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and arterial pressure, significantly impacting morbidity and mortality worldwide. Classified by the World Health Organization into five distinct categories—ranging from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and PH associated with left heart disease, to diverse etiologies such as chronic thromboembolic obstructions and unclear multifactorial origins—PH presents intricate clinical management and diagnostic challenges. Despite advancements in therapeutic approaches, treatment options remain limited by drug-associated toxicities and adverse effects, necessitating the pursuit of safer, more tolerable pharmaceuticals. In recent years a resurgence of interest in natural products (NPs) derived from diverse biological sources such as plants, microorganisms, animals, and marine life has been seen. This is often based on their historical uses and established pharmacological profiles. However, overall, the evidence base is very low. Emerging evidence demonstrates that many NPs exhibit lower toxicity profiles compared to synthetic counterparts, with approximately half of all clinical therapeutics originating directly or indirectly from natural products. Preliminary studies have indicated promising therapeutic potentials for NPs in PH management, although further elucidation of their precise molecular mechanisms, biomarkers, and effective clinical translation is urgently required.
This Research Topic aims to elucidate novel interventions for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary hypertension by examining the efficacy, mechanisms, and safety profiles of natural products from biological origins. Specifically, it seeks to uncover biomarkers for improved PH diagnosis, clarify the molecular pathways underlying PH pathogenesis, determine the therapeutic potential of new and existing NPs, and stimulate innovative research strategies to facilitate drug discovery and development in this area. On the basis of this mechanistic understanding novel forms of treatments using metabolites derived from plants and fungi are a plausible starting point for research and development.
To gather further insights into the scope and effects of natural product-based therapeutics against pulmonary hypertension, we welcome original research, comprehensive reviews, and innovative methodologies related to, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Identification and assessment of novel biomarkers for PH diagnosis and monitoring disease progression.
• Exploration of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying PH pathogenesis and related signal transduction pathways.
• Discovery and characterization of novel natural product candidates obtained from botanical, microbial, animal, and marine sources with therapeutic and specific activity in PH treatment.
• Development and application of advanced research methods, such as single-cell sequencing, spatial metabolomics, metagenomics, organoid-on-chip models, and artificial intelligence-driven analyses aimed at advancing PH treatment using NPs.
• Pharmacological, toxicological, and clinical assessment of NP-based therapies for the preventive and therapeutic management of PH.
In addition to the listed themes, submissions addressing any innovative strategies utilizing natural products for pulmonary hypertension are highly encouraged.
Please note:
Studies need to comply with the best practice guidelines of the leading journals for pharmacological studies on plant extract / natural products including the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology and follow the standards established in the ConPhyMP statement Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205. A detailed description of the material studied, its extraction, and processing is essential and manuscripts that lack such a description will be desk-rejected. You can freely download the full version here (https://ga-online.org/best-practice). Please self-assess your MS using the ConPhyMP tool. Purely in silico studies are outside of the scope of this journal (e.g. network studies)
The following article types are particularly encouraged: • Clinical Trial • Methods • Full reviews including Systematic Reviews • Opinion • Original Research
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