ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Pulmonary Hypertension: State of the Art
and Therapeutic Opportunities, organized by Drs. Marlene Rabinovitch and Kurt Stenmark. The conference
will be held in Santa Fe, New Mexico from June 25 - 28, 2023.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive condition in which narrowing and obliteration of blood vessels
results in elevated resistance to flow that culminates in heart failure. Current approved therapies improve
survival and quality of life but new research approaches that tackle the complexities of pulmonary hypertension
will allow us to identify, develop and pursue new agents that reverse disease. Therefore, this conference is
designed to showcase the scientific advances in six areas that impact vascular and immune cell function: i)
mitochondrial dynamics (ii) epigenomics and integrated omics (iii) aging and sex determinants (iv) genetics and
data science (v) bioengineering and regeneration and (vi) inflammation. The conference program will cover
the future of gene editing in pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Speakers were invited with expertise in
the above areas of interest, along with those who work on related aspects of pulmonary hypertension, in order
to engage both seasoned and young investigators in a way that will catalyze innovative scientific approaches.
Additionally, speakers will be challenged to relate their research to others in the field, to establish relationships
and bridge gaps that will identify therapeutic possibilities beyond targeting one pathway or molecule. The
program will also cover the pitfalls of current animal models and culture systems, in light of the complexities of
the disease. There are also two workshops being planned. The first will highlight novel imaging technology in
the field. The second is designed around the process of moving basic discovery to the patient. Finally, this
conference will be held jointly with the Keystone Symposia meeting on Heart Failure. Attendees will share joint
sessions, workshops, poster sessions, and mealtimes.