Use of hypoxia inducible factor 2alpha for curing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and as a target for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension

Abstract

The current invention relates to the field of hypoxia-induced disorders and more specifically to the use of hypoxia inducible factor 2aα as a target in a method for the screening for molecules that can be used for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. The invention further relates to the use of HIF-2α and/or of the HIF-2aα inducible protein VEGF for the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

1 . A method of using hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF-2α) or fragments thereof as a target to screen for molecules that are able to inhibit the development of pulmonary hypertension wherein said method comprises the following steps: 
 incubating a mixture comprising HIF-2α or a fragment thereof and at least one molecule,    allowing binding between HIF-2α or a fragment thereof and said molecule,    isolating said molecule binding to HIF-2α, or a fragment thereof and    determining the ability of said molecule to inhibit the development of pulmonary hypertension.    
     
     
         2 . A method of using HIF-2α or fragments thereof to screen for molecules that are able to inhibit the development of pulmonary hypertension wherein said method comprises the following steps: 
 incubating a mixture comprising HIF-2α or a fragment thereof, a reporter construct wherein the reporter gene is driven by HIF-2α, and at least one molecule,    determining if the latter incubation results in at least 50% reduction in expression of said reporter gene, and    determining the ability of said molecule to inhibit the development of pulmonary hypertension.    
     
     
         3 . A method for the production of a pharmaceutical composition comprising the usage of HIF-2α or a fragment thereof according to  claim 1  and further comprising mixing said molecule identified, or a derivative or homologue thereof, with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.  
     
     
         4 . A method of using HIF-2α or a fragment or homologue thereof for the manufacture of a medicament to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.  
     
     
         5 . A method of using VEGF or a fragment or homologue thereof for the manufacture of a medicament to treat neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.  
     
     
         6 . A method for the production of a pharmaceutical composition comprising the usage of HIF-2α or a fragment thereof according to  claim 2  and further comprising mixing said molecule identified, or a derivative or homologue thereof, with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.