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

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.