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About 10% of the COVID-19 affected patients develop critical illness with a high mortality rate. This critical illness appears to be strongly linked with cardiovascular disease, as the prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities and risk factors (such as diabetes and obesity) are often found among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The consortium COVID@Heart believes that mitigating this cardiovascular burden of Covid-19 should start early, while patients are (still) outside the hospital. The Research COVID@Heart has three core activities: Develop a tool to identify high-risk cardiovascular patients with COVID-19 in a home environment, before the critical illness emerges. This tool will allow general practitioners to better notify high-risk patients, monitor them more closely (e.g. by using home saturation measurements), prescribe preventive cardiovascular medication earlier ('moon shot') and refer them to a hospital promptly when needed. Create a diagnostic tool to improve early differentiation between COVID-19 and a myocardial infarction, addressing the challenge of overlapping symptoms faced by general practitioners. Design a questionnaire supplemented by select biomarkers and blood tests to enhance the detection of cardiovascular disease in COVID-19 survivors experiencing prolonged symptoms of fatigue and shortness of breath, as these symptoms are potentially linked to accelerated subclinical cardiovascular disease. Origin Accurate information on how cardiovascular patients fared while still at home is lacking. This information is crucial to prevent hospital admissions. Therefore, COVID@HEART focuses on people who are not hospitalized but are at home and treated by their general practitioners. The Dutch Heart Foundation supports and funds this research into the best treatment for cardiovascular patients with a coronavirus infection.  

The GENIUS II (Generating Evidence-Based Pharmaceutical Targets and Drugs for Atherosclerosis) consortium is dedicated to studying atherosclerosis, the primary pathological condition underlying cardiovascular diseases. The consortium aims to translate identified druggable targets for atherosclerosis intervention into clinical applications. Gender specificity is a key consideration in all our studies. Our consortium's talent program is structured to provide young researchers with insights into the opportunities and challenges of cardiovascular drug development. The Research GENIUS II research integrates knowledge of dyslipidemia and associated immune responses. Our work is organized into distinct work packages that correspond to the logical steps in drug development. Each selected target from GENIUS I is strategically incorporated into this framework. Our investigations encompass in vitro and in vivo analyses to understand mechanisms, druggability, and effects on atherosclerosis. In addition to building upon GENIUS I drug targets and leads, we leverage recent innovative advancements to identify new druggable targets within male and female atherosclerotic lesions, as well as in circulating cells. State-of-the-art molecular biology techniques, including single cell sequencing and immunophenotyping, are actively employed to dissect immunometabolic processes within atherosclerotic plaques and patients. These studies will enable us to monitor the presence of drug targets at disease sites, expediting drug design and potentially identifying gender-specific biomarkers to aid disease progression monitoring and diagnosis. Subsequent studies involve testing the efficacy of small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, and siRNA against pre-selected targets from GENIUS I. We have identified small molecules and monoclonal antibodies for five targets, which will undergo toxicity and proof-of-pharmacology studies to progress towards drug development for cardiovascular patients. We have also identified three drugs affecting primary targets from GENIUS I and are assessing their potential to reduce atherosclerotic parameters in First-In-Human clinical trials. Origin This consortium was funded through the Impulse Grant program by the Dutch Heart Foundation. The GENIUS II consortium builds on the most promising targets identified in the GENIUS I consortium, with the goal of advancing these targets towards clinical application.