Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC | Virginia Tech Health & Biomedical Research

_{July 30, 2026}

Scientists restore lost protein to reverse lung disease in preclinical models

Researchers at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have identified a natural protective protein that maintains healthy lung blood vessels. Increasing the expression of this protein in preclinical models of pulmonary arterial hypertension reversed key features of the disease, including pulmonary vascular remodeling and heart dysfunction. 

The study in the European Respiratory Journal found that levels of bone morphogenetic protein 3, or BMP3, are significantly reduced in pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare and progressive disease that causes elevated blood pressure in the lungs and can lead to heart failure. 

Researchers used two different methods to increase BMP3 levels, and both methods reversed key features of the disease, including damaged blood vessels and impaired heart function.

The findings reveal a previously unrecognized pathway involved in pulmonary arterial hypertension and point to new treatment strategies aimed at correcting the underlying disease process.