Pulmonary arterial hypertension and cancer: exploring their resemblance as channelopathies

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and cancer may appear to be unrelated at first, but there is increasing evidence that they share many characteristics and complexities. Pulmonary vascular cells in PAH resemble cancer cells in that they display abnormal growth patterns, resistance to cell death, metabolic changes, and channelopathies. These similarities open new possibilities for researchers and clinicians to apply cancer treatment strategies to PAH and possibly reverse the condition. This review explores the complex parallels between PAH and cancer, and emphasizes their similar channelopathy-like features at the molecular, cellular, and clinical levels. We also discuss the potential implications of these similarities for developing new treatments.