Researchers come up with improved therapy for hypertension

Washington, Dec 30: Researchers have come up with an improved alternative therapy for hypertension, using an enzyme called ACE2.

Existing therapies like ACE inhibitors block the formation of angiotensin II, a protein that causes blood vessels to constrict and drives blood pressure up, says Daniel Batlle, professor of medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) and nephrologist.

But the approach with ACE2 is novel because it focuses on breaking down angiotensin II already in the system. "This therapeutic approach can also be superior to existing therapies," said Batlle.

They "provide a more complete and effective suppression of this system to treat not just hypertension but many other medical conditions where angiotensin 2 overactivity is undesirable", adds Batlle, says an FSM release.

The research was conducted on mice by Jan Wysocki, post-doctoral fellow in nephrology at the FSM, in Batlle's lab.

These findings will appear in the January issue of Hypertension.