Dr. Jules B. Puschett and his team, currently at Texas A&M Health Science Center/Scott and White Healthcare, have developed both a diagnostic test that differentiates between volume-expansion mediated hypertension and vasoconstriction-mediated hypertension, and a therapy to treat volume-expansion mediated hypertension. The diagnostic test is driven by identification of a biomarker, marinobufagenin (MBG), which is a steroid found to be closely related to volume expansion-mediated hypertension. Elevated MBG levels in the urine indicate volume expansion-mediated hypertension and may also provide an early indication of the onset of preeclampsia. This latter disorder is a hypertensive syndrome that occurs in pregnant women.

Patients with an elevated level of MBG are candidates for a therapeutic intervention based on the novel compound resibuffagenin (RBG).  RBG is an antagonist to MBG and provides a treatment specific to the volume expansion-mediated type of hypertension.  RBG's targeting of volume expansion-mediated hypertension makes it unique among antihypertensive therapeutic available in the market today.