This study shows estrogen receptor α protects female RV endothelial cells from apoptosis and supports angiogenesis in pulmonary hypertension, revealing a sex-specific role in RV function.

Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology · Sep 10, 2026Peer-reviewedCell Biology

17β-Estradiol Promotes Right Ventricle Angiogenesis via Estrogen Receptor α and Apelin Signaling

Simon Bousseau, Andrea L. Frump, Avram D. Walts, Rafael Sobrano Fais, Amanda Fisher, Manisha Bharti, Bakhtiyor Yakubov, Steeve Provencher, Sandra Breuils Bonnet, Sébastien Bonnet, Tim Lahm

This study shows that 17β-estradiol promotes right ventricle angiogenesis through estrogen receptor α and apelin signaling in pulmonary hypertension.

American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology · Sep 4, 2026Peer-reviewedCell Biology

Cardiomyocyte NLRP3 signaling in right heart failure is sexually dimorphic via estrogen receptor α

Rafael Sobrano Fais, Erica Das Neves Palotta, Katrina W. Kopf, Karina Mora Massad, Evandro M. Neto‐Neves, Christopher Hoffer, Avram D. Walts, Andrea L. Frump, Neil M. Goldenberg, Sophie E. Givens, Alice Bourgeois, Chen-Shan Chen Woodcock, Irina Petrache, Naomi C. Chesler, Kathleen C. Woulfe, , Tim Lahm

This study identifies a sexually dimorphic NLRP3 signaling pathway in right ventricular failure, showing estrogen receptor α mediates protection against NLRP3-induced contractile dysfunction in cardiomyocytes.

bioRxiv · Feb 14, 2026 · PreprintMolecular Biology