Scientists have identified a protein in immune cells that could become a new treatment target for high blood pressure. Researchers at the University of Missouri found that the protein, called TG2, helps drive the inflammation and arterial changes linked to hypertension.

In a study of female mice published September 30, 2026, in the American Journal of Physiology, removing TG2 from myeloid immune cells blunted the rise in blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and inflammation triggered by the hormone angiotensin II. Mice with normal TG2 developed all three problems as expected.

TG2 was already linked to arterial stiffening in blood vessels. The new work, led by Camila Manrique-Acevedo and Guido Lastra, shows its activity in immune cells also matters. Blocking it could one day allow more precise treatment with fewer side effects.

Nearly half of US adults have high blood pressure, which raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The researchers stress the findings are early: the work was in mice, and only females were studied so far.