Research Unit: Metabolic and hormonal influence on mesenchymal cells in Chronic Lung Disease (CLD)

Chronic lung diseases (CLD) are leading cause of mortality and during my career I had the chance to study on the remodeling process in vasculature and parenchyma. We have shown that lung intrinsic proteases are key factors for the regulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in CLD (Biasin et al,2017; Biasin et al,2014) and that ECM is produced by different mesenchymal cells in the lung (Biasin et al, 2020). Howevevr, we have also shown that altered metabolic processes are key events during CLD development (Kheirollahi V et al, 2019) and that molecules released by other organs can actually influence molecular mechanisms underlying lung disease (Biasin, V., Obermayer-Pietsch, B. 2018 Dec 17. JLPM) From this background we developed the idea that altered metabolic and hormonal processes can influence the parenchymal and vascular remodeling process underlying chronic lung disease. Consolidated collaboration with the department of pulmonology and pathology implemented with support from the department of Endocrinology make our team very transdisciplinary. Currently we are working on sexual dimorphic characteristic of lung fibrosis in systemic sclerosis  and the influence of free fatty acids on idiopathic lung fibrosis.