Research Group Przemyslaw Blyszczuk

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can arise from various causes, including narrowing, thickening, or stiffening of small pulmonary arteries (pulmonary arterial hypertension, PAH), lung diseases, or backward pressure in patients with left heart failure. We hypothesize that the molecular mechanisms driving the interaction between PH and right ventricular (RV) dysfunction are consistent across different forms of PH. To investigate the impact of PH on RV dysfunction, our research utilizes hearts obtained from heart transplantation. Through the application of advanced omics techniques, we aim to identify novel, targetable molecular pathways and biomarkers associated with RV worsening. On the one hand, to validate these potential targets, we are developing a precision heart slice model – beating slices of human myocardium – enabling us to test newly identified pathways directly. On the other hand, we are validating novel biomarkers identified in human cardiac tissue using serum samples from SSc patients, exploring their relevance in the context of PH development and RV dysfunction.