Rebalancing NTRK2 isoforms promotes vascular regeneration in bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Summary: Babies born too early often get a chronic lung disease called BPD. This happens because the tiny blood vessels in their lungs do not grow right, making it hard to breathe. Right now, there is no cure. Scientists looked closely at the lung cells and found a protein called NTRK2. Normally, a full-sized version of this protein helps blood vessels heal. But in sick lungs, the protein gets cut short, which stops the healing. When scientists gave mice the full-sized protein using tiny fat particles (like in some vaccines), the blood vessels grew back, and the lungs healed! This new RNA treatment shows great promise for helping premature babies breathe easier.