Dr. Yen-Chun (Charly) Lai's research has been focused primarily on investigating pathogenesis and development of alternative therapies for effective treatment of cardiopulmonary diseases, with the particular emphasis of metabolic syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF). The research group has found a new endocrine signaling axis which links skeletal muscle defects to pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH-HFpEF. This is a largely unexplored area which has the potential of revealing new mechanistic understanding of PH-HFpEF pathogenesis beyond the heart.
Active research/current funding
1R01HL142638
Role of skeletal muscle SIRT3 in pulmonary vascular remodeling
Granting agency: NIH/NHLBI
1R01AG058659
A phase II trial of metformin for pulmonary hypertension in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
Granting agency: NIH/NIA
Recent publications
Treatment with treprostinil and metformin normalizes hyperglycemia and improves cardiac function in pulmonary hypertension associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF).
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2020; 40:1543-1558.
Metabolic syndrome mediates ROS-miR-193b-NFYA-dependent downregulation of soluble guanylate cyclase and contributes to exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Circulation 2021; 144:615-637.
