RESEARCH LINES

According to the most recent European statistics, cardiovascular diseases are responsible for 37 % of all deaths in Europe, a rate considerably higher than the second most prevalent cause of death. 

Despite significant progress, conceptual and technical limitations hinder our understanding of multicellular interactions underlying cardiovascular pathophysiology, understanding the cross-talk between microvascular alterations and inflammation with cardiac angiogenesis, the extracellular matrix and cardiomyocytes. Our aim is to develop in vitro models based on Organ-on-a-chip technology for mimicking the cellular behavior and distribution (endothelium, macrophages, cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts) present in cardiovascular system. Such 3D systems will allow to study the cardiovascular pathophysiology and will also provide a novel and accurate tool to evaluate new therapies reducing the use of animal models.