The results of this research could open new avenues of research aimed at defining biomarkers and therapeutic targets to study new drugs

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) can occur as a result of unresolved thrombi after suffering a pulmonary embolism. In a project of the Respiratory research group of IDIBGI, published in the journal Scientific Reports with Dr. Olga Tura as first author, the study of pulmonary endothelial cells is developed from the material obtained from the pulmonary endarectomy to which patients with CTEPH undergo.

The research is based on the hypothesis that metabolic dysregulation in endothelial cells (EC) contributes to cellular changes that promote a narrowing of the vasculature in CTEPH, thus producing pulmonary embolism.

In the study, they observed that these are cells with low capacity for migration and blood vessel formation, presenting a high proliferation rate and low apoptosis rate. They also observed that they are cells with high levels of oxidative stress and an overexpression of adhesion molecules and present alterations at the mitochondrial level.

These characteristic features defined in the study could provide an explanation for the development of CTEPH and, in turn, open new avenues of research aimed at defining new biomarkers and therapeutic targets to study drugs that facilitate the recovery of the dysfunction suffered by the pulmonary endothelial cells involved in CTEPH.

Reference: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-98320-1

Figure: Overexpression of adhesion protein and endothelial marker (CD31) in endothelial cells derived from CTEPH patients. Immunofluorescence image; marked in green, CD31-positive endothelial cells and blue DAPI-labeled nuclei. Magnification x10.