The proteome of alveolar fibroblast from COPD and their interaction with the extracellular matrix

In this exploratory project, we strive for the first time to study at the basic scientific level the behavior of alveolar fibroblast cells, which are very important in maintaining a healthy lung tissue. However, in COPD (emphysema), these cells do not receive the correct signals from their microenvironment, and they become sick, contributing to the progression of the disease. Thus, we will aim at providing healthy signals to the cells using human lung tissue that holds most of the native characteristics. Our results will have several implications. If the sick behavior is reverted, it will lead to further studies to elucidate which signals are the most important to stop COPD, which could derive into future therapies. Moreover, we will correlate our results in the cell experiments with lung function parameters measured in the COPD patients, enabling the discovery of potential novel biomarkers of the disease that could be used in the clinics