Endothelial senescence in IPF and COPD

This talk focuses on endothelial studies focusing on patients with chronic lung disorders such as COPD or IPF.

• Role of endothelium in chronic lung disease
• Endothelial studies using endothelial progenitors (ECFC)
• Endothelial dysfunction in COPD – studies using ECFC

Koralia Paschalaki is a respiratory physician and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the National Heart and Lung Institute. Her research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease in patients with chronic lung disorders, including COPD and IPF. Using circulating endothelial progenitors, she has provided the first evidence of accelerated endothelial ageing (senescence) due to epigenetic dysfunction in patients with COPD, providing novel insights into the development of cardiovascular disease in this group. Her research work, employing primary endothelial cells and advanced organ-on-a-chip platforms, is currently funded by BHF, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and pharma.