Therapeutic agents
The present invention related to identification of therapeutic agents of the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of pulmonary hypertension.
1. A method of treating hypoxic-induced pulmonary hypertension in a subject, the method comprising inhibiting ZIP12 protein levels by genetic disruption of the Slc39a12 gene using a Zinc finger nuclease technolog, or inhibiting Slc39a12 gene expression using an interfering nucleic acid, wherein the interfering nucleic acid is an antisense oligonucleotide, an siRNA, or a dsRNA, in a subject in need of such treatment.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method comprisesinhibiting Slc39a12 gene expression using the interfering nucleicacid, wherein the interfering nucleicacid is the antisense oligonucleotide, the siRNA, or the dsRNA.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the antisense oligonucleotide, siRNA, or dsRNA specifically bindstoa portion of the mRNA product of Slc39a12.
4. A method according to claim 1 , whereinthe method comprises disrupting the Slc39a12 gene by usingthe Zincfingernuclease technology.
5. A method according to claim 1 , whereinthe Slc39a12 gene is disrupted or the Slc39a12 gene expression isinhibited, bytargeting exon 8 ofthe Slc39a12 gene.