Scientific Principles

Nitric Oxide (NO)

The discovery by Robert F. Furchgott, Louis J. Ignarro, and Ferid Murad of nitric oxide (NO) as a signaling molecule for cardiovascular regulation of blood pressure and blood flow laid down a new principle of signaling in biological systems: the gas signal produced by one cell can regulate the function of another cell through the cell membrane. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1998.

NO is produced in human vascular endothelial cells, which can freely travel through various tissues and organs and has various functions such as vasodilator, antiviral, antibacterial and immunomodulatory. Inhaled low concentration of NO can selectively dilate pulmonary arteries, reduce pulmonary hypertension as well as improve oxygenation. It is widely used for emergency treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis pulmonary hypertension (PH-PF), chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH-COPD), and persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN). The US FDA approved NO for the treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) in 1999, and it is now commonly used in neonatal intensive care units in hospitals around the world, saving the lives of millions of newborns every year, and is known as the "life molecule".