Right Ventricular Failure in Pulmonary Hypertension

Despite ongoing advances in our body of knowledge, pulmonary hypertension remains a significant therapeutic challenge. In particular, no approved therapies to date seek to directly achieve improvement or preservation of the right ventricular function. The function and compensatory remodeling of the right ventricle is critical for pulmonary hypertension where its adaptation to the increased pulmonary vascular resistance and myocardial strain is a critical determinant of the clinical outcomes of the disease. Although our understanding of the right ventricular response continues to expand, many knowledge gaps remain in the mechanisms that determine right ventricular adaptation and maladaptation to increased pulmonary vascular resistance associated with pulmonary hypertension.
In collaboration with Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, we are organizing a Research Topic entitled “Right ventricular failure in pulmonary hypertension,” hosted by Hyung J. Chun and Tim Lahm.

This Research Topic will address the current state of knowledge of: 1) how the right ventricular responds in the context of pulmonary hypertension, 2) the field in therapeutic strategies to preserve right ventricular function, and 3) novel molecular mechanisms that may be targeted for development of future right ventricular-targeted therapies. We encourage contributions to this Topic exploring the relationship between the right ventricular and the pulmonary vasculature. Specific articles contributed to this Topic will include review articles of the current state of pre-clinical and clinical knowledge in right ventricular function in pulmonary hypertension, original reports describing research in both animal models and humans, as well as methodology papers.