Almazov Centre has been conducting a comprehensive scientific study of the nervous regulation of pulmonary circulation, electrophysiological diagnostic methods for nervous structures of the pulmonary artery and approaches to the selective pulmonary denervation to treat patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Experimental stage. Specialists of Neuromodulation Research Laboratory in the X-ray OR of Preclinical Translational Research Centre
It has been experimentally and clinically confirmed that electrophysiological mapping of nerves and ganglia of the pulmonary artery wall and near arterial structures is possible with minimally invasive transvascular access. A number of experiments were conducted in animals to verify this method and the possibility of selective pulmonary denervation.
Angiography and electrophysiological mapping of pulmonary artery during the experiment
Based on the findings, the first clinical testing of selective pulmonary denervation method was carried out in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. These early results are encouraging: at 12 months after the procedure, no signs of pulmonary hypertension were revealed in a patient with a long history of the disease.
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3D anatomical reconstruction of the bifurcation area of pulmonary artery and electrophysiological mapping of nerves in the first patient with selective denervation of pulmonary hypertension and dilated pulmonary artery |
The studies continue in several areas: electrophysiological remodeling of the nervous regulation of pulmonary circulation in pulmonary hypertension, aspects of genetic and structural remodeling. The selective denervation method is being improved. The results might give a chance to use a new approach in a comprehensive treatment of the disease.