Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension

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Guest Editor's Memo

From PHA's Scientific Sessions, a Time for Reflection on the Progress Toward a Cure

As Guest Editor for this issue of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension, I looked forward to reviewing the submission of manuscripts because I knew the content would reflect the exciting agenda we put together for the third Scientific Sessions held in conjunction with the 2008 Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) International Conference in Houston. As Chair of the Scientific Sessions Committee I had the privilege of overseeing the scope of the program and helping to coordinate content development. For readers who were fortunate enough to attend, the Scientific Sessions and conference once again offered an outstanding opportunity to meet with specialists in PH and explore why this program offers clinicians so much to think about and apply in their practices as they explore translational research in this disease.

As researchers, we are always impressed and encouraged by the pace of work on this disease throughout the world and our content in this issue demonstrates some of the progress we are making in gaining a better understanding of the pathophysiology of PH, its mechanisms and treatment. Despite the progress in this regard, the attendance at the Conference by hundreds of patients and their families who signed up for the patient portion of he program reminded us of how much further we need to go before we can say we have a cure for PH. In achieving that goal, there will be numerous incremental steps such as the reports in this publication that serve as benchmarks for how far we have come on this huge journey.

In this issue of the journal we express our gratitude to the following authors for their contributions to the growing body of knowledge on the disease: Heiko Bugger, MD, PhD and E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, Paul M. Hassoun, MD, Kurt Stenmark MD, Hunter C. Champion, MD, PhD, and Ivan F. McMurtry, PhD. I woud also like to thank the participants in the Pulmonary Hypertension Roundtable Discusssion, including Todd Bull, MD, Omar Minai, MD, and Dr McMurtry.

Karen A. Fagan, MD
Guest Editor

Editor's Memo

A few years after I began to work in the field of PH with my mentor, Dr. Bruce Brundage, I missed what would have been my 1st International PHA conference in 1998: my son was born 2 days before the meeting started. At the time I did not know what I would be missing. At the following PHA conference, I found out what all the fuss was about. In 2000, over 700 patients, caregivers, practitioners and researchers converged on a sold-out hotel in suburban Chicago, and everyone poured their hearts (and minds) out to better the PH community. Children wearing backpacks with IV pumps inside, patients parading on stage showing off the latest pump-concealing fashions, and PH experts volunteering their time and expense to inform, teach and learn about PH were among the many highlights of that and each subsequent meeting I attended. To say that the biennial International Conferences and Scientific Sessions of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association are one of the most emotionally draining yet inspirational and uplifting events in the lives of anyone involved in PH would be a major understatement. This issue's coverage of the most recent PHA meeting, the 8th International Conference and Scientific Sessions of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association thus holds a special place in my heart. Dr. Karen Fagan, Guest Editor of this issue and Chair of the PHA Scientific Sessions held in Houston last June, did a fantastic job putting together an entire issue devoted to the Conference, in which over 1100 people from 17 different countries attended. From original scientific contributions to an expert Roundtable, all focused on the Scientific Sessions, plus an international commentary on PH and connective tissue disease issues covered in the last Summer issue of Advances, I am sure you too will learn and hopefully be inspired to attend the next International Conference.

Ronald J. Oudiz, MD
Editor-in-Chief