Over the past 40 years, treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has changed dramatically. What was once considered a disease with very few treatment options is now managed with a growing range of therapies that help people live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. A review recently published in Circulation looks back at […]
Natalia Maeva, a patient advocate for pulmonary hypertension, attended the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Presidential Summit in Warsaw in June 2026, participating in sessions on early detection, air quality, tobacco control, climate change and lung health. Having had her own life transformed by access to specialised treatment and lung transplantation, she found the discussions on
The e-book for the May 2026 edition of Transplant International is available online in open access at this link The cover features a letter to the editors reporting the impressive summiting of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, without supplemental oxygen by a lung transplant recipient accompanied by the medico-surgical team from Medical University
Lukáš Jakovec set off from Udine, Italy, on 11 October 2025 — a trip he had been planning for over seven years. Two hundred and thirty days and 22,000 km later, with a total elevation gain of roughly 144,000 metres, he rolled into Prague, his home town. Along the way he looped through Italy, including
Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) is the most common form of chronic lung allograft dysfunction after lung transplant, marked by progressive small airway disease with limited treatment options. This case report describes a 55-year-old woman with primary ciliary dyskinesia, post-bilateral lung transplant, who developed severe (stage 3) bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome and went into respiratory failure requiring
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association, PHA, is hosting a free webinar on transplant evaluation for people living with pulmonary hypertension and their caregivers. The session will cover how risk assessment works, how risk scores guide transplant referral and timing, and what questions to ask your care team — with perspectives on both adult and paediatric patients.
A 51-year-old lung transplant recipient — transplanted in 2002 for cystic fibrosis — successfully reached the summit of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina (6,961 m) in January 2026, without supplemental oxygen. This is the highest altitude ever recorded for a lung transplant recipient. The achievement was part of an international medical expedition organised by the Vienna
United Therapeutics is making a major strategic bet on xenotransplantation and bioengineered organs as its primary long-term growth driver. The is using genetically modified pig organs to reduce rejection risk — with its UHeart and UKidney programmes having already achieved transplants in living humans. In parallel, it is developing 3D-bioprinted lungs, livers and kidneys using
Welcome to our April roundup of the most relevant and interesting content shared on this platform. April 2026 has been a particularly rich month, with significant news on the diagnostics, clinical trials and treatment front alongside important research on quality of life, patient preferences information, economic burden. There is also a selection of patient resources
This month, The Canadian Pulmonary Hypertension Association PHA Canada is raising awareness about the life-changing impact of organ and tissue donation. The newest issue of their magazine Connections is dedicated to Transplant & Pulmonary Hypertension, and it explores this important topic through stories, insights, and resources from the community. 👉 Subscribe to Connections and receive
Czech cyclist Lukáš Jakovec is now on day 177 of his extraordinary solo bike journey around Europe, having covered an impressive 15,290 kilometres along the coastline — by the longest route possible. Lukáš is no ordinary cyclist. A multi-talented Czech professional — chef, tennis coach, tournament referee and professional bowler — he embarked on the
Martine Aliana Rothblatt (born 1954) is an American lawyer, author, and entrepreneur. She founded United Therapeutics in 1996, to make medicines for her daughter who suffered from pulmonary arterial hypertension, and is now developing genetically modified pig organs for human transplant. On the latter topic she has written a book titled “Your life or mine
This review covers the full clinical picture of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — from its pathophysiology and diagnosis through to current and emerging treatments. Understanding the Disease Pulmonary arterial hypertension is driven by progressive structural remodelling of the pulmonary arteries, creating a vicious cycle of vasoconstriction, inflammation, and uncontrolled cell growth that ultimately leads to
Not to be missed! This live webinar organised by the European Society for Organ Transplant aims to provide an update on the burden of Chronic Lung Allograft Dysfunction (CLAD), emphasizing the patient’s perspective and most important challenges living with CLAD. The webinar will cover respiratory rehabilitation and palliative care measures, including the non-pharmacological and symptomatic
The Lung Transplant Foundation has assembled a panel of long-term lung transplant survivors (20+ years) who share what life has been like in the decades following their successful lung transplant. This panel is a celebration of all that is possible when we say “yes” to lung transplant. 🗓️ Mark the date: January 16, 2026🕰️ 7
On October 11, 2025, the Alliance for Pulmonary Hypertension launched the inspiring “Wheels of Hope” campaign, following Czech cyclist and chef Lukáš Jakovec as he embarked on an extraordinary journey across Europe to raise awareness about organ donation and transplantation—all while cycling through some of Europe’s most challenging terrain. Key Numbers Route Highlights Starting from
Tacrolimus (FK506), discovered in 1984 from Japanese soil fungus, revolutionized organ transplantation. Dr. Thomas Starzl’s pioneering work at the University of Pittsburgh demonstrated dramatic improvements over cyclosporine: liver graft survival increased from 65.5% to 86.2%, with rejection rates dropping to 1-2%. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval followed for liver (1994), kidney (1997), and
Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients face unique challenges in lung transplantation. Unlike patients with other lung diseases, they often have relatively normal lung function tests but are in critical condition due to heart failure. This means they receive low priority scores in the standard Lung Allocation Score (LAS) system, which was designed primarily for patients with
A modified Delphi consensus was conducted by the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI) Lung Transplantation Workstream, involving 29 international experts on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and lung transplantation. The process generated consensus ( mean scores >_2.5 on Likert scale ) across 141 out of 223 statements relating to when to refer pulmonary arterial hypertension patients
