Method of inducing vasodilation and treating pulmonary hypertension using adenoviral-mediated transfer of the nitric oxide synthase gene

摘要

This invention relates to a gene therapy method for inducing pulmonary vasodilation. More specifically, this invention involves introducing the nitric oxide synthase gene into lungs resulting in pulmonary vasodilation. This results in a hypotensive effect in the pulmonary circulation which does not significantly affect systemic blood pressure or cardiac index. This method is useful to treat primary pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary hypertension secondary to various disease states.