Gene therapy might lower blood pressure

HOUSTON, Sep 27, 2005 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A Baylor University-Houston study suggests a newly developed virus that introduces a blood pressure-lowering gene may take gene therapy to a new level.

Baylor College of Medicine researchers said the gene can maintain blood pressure at healthy levels for four months.

"High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death and disability in adults worldwide," said Bert O'Malley, chairman of the BCM department of molecular and cellular biology. "A therapy that could control blood pressure could have important benefits ... for the health of the world's population."

The gene -- atrial natriuretic peptide -- promises to control blood pressure through a variety of effects on key areas, such as relaxation of smooth muscle cells in blood vessels, and also improves the manner in which kidneys eliminate sodium or salt from the body.

"This makes ANP an attractive agent for use in treating blood pressure," said O'Malley. "However, its use is limited by the fact it has such short-lived activity in the blood system." Its activity is halved 30 seconds after it enters the blood stream.

The research appears in the current online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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