Ankita Mitra, PhD

Research Project:
Restoring ROR2 Protein Function May Help Treat Pulmonary Hypertension

Grant Awarded:

Catalyst Award

Research Topics:

clinical research
combination therapies experimental therapeutics

Research Disease:

pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening disease caused by high blood pressure in the lungs, which results in right heart failure and death. Currently, lung transplantation is the only treatment for PAH. Blood vessel loss is one of the major causes of PAH. We discovered that a protein called Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Like Orphan Receptor 2 (ROR2) is involved in maintenance of blood vessels in the lung and its loss is linked with PAH. We will study the mechanisms by which ROR2 maintains lung blood vessels and whether ROR2 depletion interferes with the formation of new blood vessels in the lungs. We will try to find if restoring ROR2 function in both cells and animal models of PAH can improve new blood vessel formation. This research will help to develop new treatments and improve survival of PAH patients.

Page last updated: September 30, 2025

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