News

A faulty interaction between lysosomes and other cell organelles could play a decisive role in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) - a rare but life-threatening disease in which the blood vessels to the lungs constrict and put a heavy strain on the heart. Researchers led by Prof. Dr. Soni Savai Pullamsetti and Prof. Dr. Rajkumar Savai, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research at Justus Liebig University Giessen and members of the LOEWE research project iCANx, have developed a new theory that has now been published in the renowned journal Science.

Lysosomes are important components of the cell that ensure the degradation and recycling of waste products. They are in constant interaction with other organelles, including mitochondria, which are responsible for energy production. A disruption of this interaction can have serious consequences, as is already known in metabolic diseases or cancer. The current study suggests that PAH could also be linked to such a malfunction: Impaired communication between lysosomes and other cell organelles could trigger genetic changes in the vascular cells that are typical of the disease.

Prof. Soni Savai Pullamsetti emphasizes the importance of these findings. Together with her research team, she is investigating possible therapeutic approaches: For example, activation of the protein NCOA7 or targeted epigenetic control of organelle interaction could help to better treat PAH in the future. These new approaches offer hope for the development of innovative therapies against this previously incurable disease.

Publication

Soni Savai Pullamsetti, Rajkumar Savai: Decoding lysosome communication. Science, online published online on January 24, 2024

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adv1201