Study of endothelial dysfunction in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and in COVID-19. Biomarkers and new targeted therapeutic strategies

The endothelium, the lining of our blood vessels, plays a crucial role in controlling functions such as blood flow, clotting and inflammation. When it does not function properly, called endothelial dysfunction, it can lead to serious cardiovascular problems. This research focuses on two conditions in which endothelial dysfunction is critical: the effects of COVID-19 on our blood vessels and a lung condition called chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). COVID-19 can affect our blood vessels, which could lead to long-term problems that we do not yet fully understand. This study proposes that people who had COVID-19 may be more likely to have heart and lung problems later in life due to changes in their blood vessels. This part of the thesis specifically studies special cells in our blood vessels called endothelial progenitor cells, crucial for vessel repair, which could serve as biomarkers to assess cardiovascular risk and the long-term effects of COVID-19. CTEPH, a severe form of pulmonary hypertension, is defined by the formation of blood clots in the pulmonary arteries. This research suggests that endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in the progression of CTEPH. The use of drugs to protect the endothelium could be a new method of treating CTEPH. Overall, this research tries to understand how problems with the endothelium of our blood vessels cause these diseases. In addition, this research is trying to find new treatments or ways to predict who is at risk. This could improve the lives of patients and benefit society as a whole L'endoteli, el revestiment dels nostres vasos sanguinis, té un paper crucial en el control de funcions com el flux sanguini, la coagulació i la inflamació. Quan l´endoteli no funciona correctament, procés anomenat disfunció endotelial, pot provocar greus problemes cardiovasculars. Aquesta investigació se centra en dues condicions en què la disfunció endotelial és crítica: els efectes de la COVID-19 sobre els nostres vasos sanguinis i una afecció pulmonar anomenada hipertensió pulmonar tromboembòlica crònica (HPTEC). La COVID-19 pot afectar els nostres vasos sanguinis, cosa que podria provocar problemes a llarg termini que encara no entenem del tot. Aquest estudi proposa que les persones que van tenir COVID-19 poden tenir més probabilitats de tenir problemes cardíacs i pulmonars més tard a la vida a causa dels canvis en els seus vasos sanguinis. Aquesta part de la tesi estudia específicament cèl·lules mare