Professor Lina Badimon, Director of the Research Area of Cardiovascular Diseases and the Molecular Pathology and Therapeutics of Atherothrombotic and Ischemic Diseases research group at the Research Institute of Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau – IIB Sant Pau, has been invited to deliver the “ESC William Harvey Lecture on Basic Science,” one of the most prominent and prestigious talks at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2023 to be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from August 25 to 28.
The lecture, which will also result in the publication of an article in the ESC-News journal from the Congress, is titled “Tissue Factor in the Continuum of Cardiovascular Disease Progression: Effects Beyond Thrombosis.”
Throughout her distinguished professional career, Professor Badimon has made significant advancements in understanding the complexity of atherosclerosis and identifying innovative and groundbreaking strategies.
Her research in cardiovascular investigation has focused on the critical role that atherosclerosis plays in most cardiovascular diseases, which constitute the leading cause of death worldwide.
After completing postgraduate studies in Spain, Professor Badimon spent 15 years in the United States conducting various studies on atherosclerosis and myocardial lesions resulting from ischemic episodes at prestigious institutions such as the Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School. Upon returning to Spain in the mid-1990s, she continued exploring cardioprotection processes in the context of myocardial infarction.
In her lecture, Professor Badimon will discuss a project she began developing in the United States: the role of tissue factor in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. This research serves as a clear example of how basic science can be instrumental in understanding a clinical problem and finding solutions that translate into improved prognosis and quality of life for patients.
Tissue factor is a key component of thrombotic events that, along with advanced atherosclerosis, are factors leading to myocardial infarction. Thanks to the use of advanced molecular technologies and funding from the Spanish Ministry of Health, Professor Badimon’s team at IIB Sant Pau has successfully produced a triple mutant model of tissue factor that lacks thrombotic activity but retains its angiogenic capacity. This modified protein is being used to better understand the effects of myocardial infarction and explore its therapeutic potential in microvascular regeneration, tissue reperfusion promotion, and damage prevention.
Professor Badimon will discuss the importance of innovation in the development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In a field where cardioprotection is a fundamental unmet medical need, her research promises significant advancements. Following several successful studies in cell cultures and small animal models, among her upcoming goals is to demonstrate preclinical efficacy in a porcine model. “Being realistic about patent timelines and funding, we expect that the research findings will translate into clinical trials in the coming years,” comments Professor Badimon.
Regarding the future of research in the cardiovascular field, Professor Badimon highlights the importance of repurposing existing drugs and the use of new technologies in molecular and imaging fields to advance the understanding of heart diseases, identify patients requiring early intervention, and develop effective preventive strategies. Research into cardiogenic shock biomarkers and the pathophysiology and biomarkers of familial hypercholesterolemia are also topics of interest for Professor Badimon’s team at IIB Sant Pau.
