The epithelium as a barrier in lung fibrosis and cardiovascular disease

Intro

Fibrosis often begins with epithelial damage which, after prolonged injury, extends into the interstitial ECM and activates fibroblasts. This session will address how to establish the right balance between the epithelial basement membrane and fibroblasts in the interstitial ECM to improve patient outcomes.

Immune driven fibrosis in heart failure. 

Stephane Heymans, Professor of Cardiomyopathies, Head of the Centre for Heart Failure Research, Department of Cardiology, Maastricht University.

Abstract: Cardiac fibrosis is a central driver of heart failure and arrhythmias, yet the mechanisms linking inflammation to fibrotic remodeling remain incompletely understood. Recent work highlights a dynamic cardio-immune axis in which immune activation shapes fibroblast behavior and extracellular matrix remodeling. Through integrated clinical cohorts, multi-omics analyses, and experimental models, we explore how immune signals regulate fibroblast to myocyte communication and promote fibrotic remodeling in cardiomyopathies and myocarditis. Particular attention is given to the role of immune-derived glycoproteins and cellular interactions in driving pathogenic fibrosis. Understanding these mechanisms may reveal novel therapeutic opportunities to target immune-mediated cardiac remodeling and prevent progression to heart failure.

Title TBD

Gisli Jenkins, NIHR Research Professor, Margaret Turner Warwick Chair of Thoracic Medicine, Head of the Margaret Turner Warwick Centre for Fibrosing Lung Disease at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.

Abstract: TBD