R(+) propranolol decreases lipid accumulation in haemangioma-derived stem cells.

Tan, Jerry Wei Heng; Wylie-Sears, Jill; Seebauer, Caroline T; Mulliken, John B; Francois, Mathias; Holm, Annegret; Bischoff, Joyce · Br J Dermatol · 2025

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Infantile haemangioma (IH), often treated with propranolol, is a benign vascular tumour that undergoes a spontaneous involution to a fibrofatty residuum. We investigated how R(+) propranolol, the nonbeta blocker enantiomer of racaemic propranolol, affects lipid accumulation and adipogenesis in IH. This was motivated by our previous work showing that R(+) propranolol can block blood vessel formation in a preclinical model of IH. Our findings suggest a novel regulatory role for R(+) propranolol in modulating lipid accumulation in haemangioma stem cells. This highlights a novel role for R(+) propranolol in the involuting phase of IH and offers a strategy to reduce fibrofatty residua in IH.