Paula da Costa Martins

Associate professor

Dr Paula da Costa Martins has graduated in Biology at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, in Portugal. Afterwards, she moved to Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, to work on cellular and molecular biology, focussing on the interactions between immune and endothelial cells, and their contribution to inflammation and atherosclerosis, at Sanquin Research, and for which she obtained her PhD at the University of Amsterdam. Subsequently, she followed her post-doctoral research at the Hubrecht Institute (Utrecht, The Netherlands), studying the contribution of noncoding RNAs in the onset and development of heart disease.

She has been working at Maastricht University since 2010. The focus of her research is deciphering the contribution of non-coding RNAs, specially microRNAs, to the development and progression of cardiac disease. More specifically, she centres her research on understanding how different cardiac cell types communicate to influence each other’s phenotype and in a concerted manner contribute to pathologic cardiac remodelling. Her main interest is unveiling how cardiomyocytes send 'microRNA messages’ to cardiac endothelial cells and inflammatory cells via exosomes, to alter their angiogenic and inflammatory properties, respectively. In this way she expects to identify new gene targets or processes where one can intervene to prevent or cure heart disease.

Department of Cardiology
Department of Molecular Biology and RNA Technology
Universiteitsingel 50, 6229 ER Maastricht
PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht
T: +31 (0)43 388 22 22

2024
- Beslika, E., Leite-Moreira, A., De Windt, L. J., & da Costa Martins, P. (2024). Large animal models of pressure overload-induced cardiac left ventricular hypertrophy to study remodelling of the human heart with aortic stenosis. Cardiovascular Research, 120(5), 461-475. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvae045
2023
- Cerqueira, R., Moreira-Costa, L., Beslika, E., Leite-Moreira, A., Silva, J., da Costa Martins, P. A., Leite-Moreira, A., Lourenço, A., & Mendes-Ferreira, P. (2023). A Minimally Invasive Model of Aortic Stenosis in Swine. Journal of visualized experiment, 2003(200), Article e65780. https://doi.org/10.3791/65780
- Juni, R. P., Kocken, J. M. M., Abreu, R. C., Ottaviani, L., Davalan, T., Duygu, B., Poels, E. M., Vasilevich, A., Hegenbarth, J. C., Appari, M., Bitsch, N., Olieslagers, S., Schrijvers, D. M., Stoll, M., Heineke, J., de Boer, J., de Windt, L. J., & da Costa, P. A. (2023). MicroRNA-216a is essential for cardiac angiogenesis. Molecular Therapy, 31(6), 1807-1828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.04.007
- Gyöngyösi, M., Alcaide, P., Asselbergs, F. W., Brundel, B. J. J. M., Camici, G. G., da Costa Martins, P., Ferdinandy, P., Fontana, M., Girao, H., Gnecchi, M., Gollmann-Tepeköylü, C., Kleinbongard, P., Krieg, T., Madonna, R., Paillard, M., Pantazis, A., Perrino, C., Pesce, M., Schiattarella, G. G., ... Davidson, S. M. (2023). Long COVID and the cardiovascular system - elucidating causes and cellular mechanisms in order to develop targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies: a joint Scientific Statement of the ESC Working Groups on Cellular Biology of the Heart and Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases. Cardiovascular Research, 119(2), 336-356. Article cvac115. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvac115
2022
- Videira, R. F., Koop, A. M. C., Ottaviani, L., Poels, E. M., Kocken, J. M. M., Dos Remedios, C., Mendes-Ferreira, P., Van De Kolk, K. W., Du Marchie Sarvaas, G. J., Lourenço, A., Llucià-Valldeperas, A., Nascimento, D. S., de Windt, L. J., De Man, F. S., Falcão-Pires, I., Berger, R. M. F., & da Costa Martins, P. (2022). The adult heart requires baseline expression of the transcription factor Hand2 to withstand right ventricular pressure overload. Cardiovascular Research, 118(12), 2688-2702. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvab299
- Raso, A., Dirkx, E., Sampaio-Pinto, V., El Azzouzi, H., Cubero, R. J., Sorensen, D. W., Ottaviani, L., Olieslagers, S., Huibers, M. M., de Weger, R., Siddiqi, S., Moimas, S., Torrini, C., Zentillin, L., Braga, L., Nascimento, D. S., da Costa Martins, P. A., van Berlo, J. H., Zacchigna, S., ... De Windt, L. J. (2022). Author Correction: A microRNA program regulates the balance between cardiomyocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy and stimulates cardiac regeneration. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 4977. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32785-0
- Fernandes, H., Zonnari, A., Abreu, R., Aday, S., Barão, M., Albino, I., Lino, M., Branco, A., Seabra, C., Barata, T., Leal, E. C., Tralhão, J. G., Gonçalves, L., de Jong, A., Peters, H. A. B., de Vries, M. R., da Costa Martins, P., Quax, P. H. A., & Ferreira, L. (2022). Extracellular vesicles enriched with an endothelial cell pro-survival microRNA affects skin tissue regeneration. Molecular Therapy - Nucleic Acids, 28, 307-327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtn.2022.03.018
- Ottaviani, L., Juni, R. P., de Abreu, R. C., Sansonetti, M., Sampaio-Pinto, V., Halkein, J., Hegenbarth, J. C., Ring, N., Knoops, K., Kocken, J. M. M., Jesus, C. D., Ernault, A. C., El Azzouzi, H., Rühle, F., Olieslagers, S., Fernandes, H., Ferreira, L., Braga, L., Stoll, M., ... da Costa Martins, P. A. (2022). Intercellular transfer of miR-200c-3p impairs the angiogenic capacity of cardiac endothelial cells. Molecular Therapy, 30(6), 2257-2273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.03.002
- Silva, J., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2022). Non-Coding RNAs in the Therapeutic Landscape of Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy. Cells, 11(11), Article 1805. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11111805
- Abreu, R., Albino, I., Barao, M., Branco, A., Fernades, H., Martins, P. D., & Ferreira, L. (2022). Microrna Enrichment Of Extracellular Vesicle Content For Diabetic Wound Treatment Potentiation. Tissue Engineering, 28, S363-S364.
2021
- Raso, A., Dirkx, E., Sampaio-Pinto, V., el Azzouzi, H., Cubero, R. J., Sorensen, D. W., Ottaviani, L., Olieslagers, S., Huibers, M. M., de Weger, R., Siddiqi, S., Moimas, S., Torrini, C., Zentillin, L., Braga, L., Nascimento, D. S., da Costa Martins, P. A., van Berlo, J. H., Zacchigna, S., ... De Windt, L. J. (2021). A microRNA program regulates the balance between cardiomyocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy and stimulates cardiac regeneration. Nature Communications, 12(1), Article 4808. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25211-4
- Abreu, R. C., Ramos, C., Becher, C., Lino, M., Jesus, C., da Costa Martins, P. A., Martins, P. A. T., Moreno, M. J., Fernandes, H., & Ferreira, L. (2021). Exogenous loading of miRNAs into small extracellular vesicles. Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 10(10), Article 12111. https://doi.org/10.1002/jev2.12111
- Mesirca, P., Nakao, S., Nissen, S. D., Forte, G., Anderson, C., Trussell, T., Li, J., Cox, C., Zi, M., Logantha, S., Yaar, S., Cartensen, H., Bidaud, I., Stuart, L., Soattin, L., Morris, G. M., Martins, P. A. D., Cartwright, E. J., Oceandy, D., ... D'Souza, A. (2021). Intrinsic Electrical Remodeling Underlies Atrioventricular Block in Athletes. Circulation Research, 129(1), E1-E20. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.316386
- Sampaio-Pinto, V., Silva, E. D., Laundos, T. L., Martins, P. D. C., Pinto-do-O, P., & Nascimento, D. S. (2021). Stereological estimation of cardiomyocyte number and proliferation. Methods, 190, 55-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.06.002
- D'Souza, A., Wang, Y. W., Anderson, C., Bucchi, A., Baruscotti, M., Olieslagers, S., Mesirca, P., Johnsen, A. B., Mastitskaya, S., Ni, H. B., Zhang, Y., Black, N., Cox, C., Wegner, S., Bano-Otalora, B., Petit, C., Gill, E., Logantha, S. J. R. J., Dobrzynski, H., ... Boyett, M. R. (2021). A circadian clock in the sinus node mediates day-night rhythms in Hcn4 and heart rate. Heart Rhythm, 18(5), 801-810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrthm.2020.11.026
2020
- Kocken, J. M. M., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2020). Epigenetic Regulation of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Induced Vascular and Right Ventricular Remodeling: New Opportunities?International journal of molecular sciences, 21(23), Article 8901. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21238901
- Videira, R. F., Martins, P. A. D. C., & Falcao-Pires, I. (2020). Non-Coding RNAs as Blood-Based Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(23), Article 9285. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21239285
- de Abreu, R. C., Fernandes, H., Martins, P. A. D. C., Sahoo, S., Emanueli, C., & Ferreira, L. (2020). Native and bioengineered extracellular vesicles for cardiovascular therapeutics. Nature Reviews Cardiology, 17(11), 685-697. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41569-020-0389-5
- Kesidou, D., Martins, P. A. D. C., de Windt, L. J., Brittan, M., Beqqali, A., & Baker, A. H. (2020). Extracellular Vesicle miRNAs in the Promotion of Cardiac Neovascularisation. Frontiers in physiology, 11, Article 579892. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.579892
- Videira, R. F., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2020). Non-coding RNAs in Cardiac Intercellular Communication. Frontiers in physiology, 11, Article 738. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2020.00738
- Vonhogen, I. G. C., Mohseni, Z., Winkens, B., Xiao, K., Thum, T., Calore, M., Martins, P. A. D. C., de Windt, L. J., Spaanderman, M. E. A., & Ghossein-Doha, C. (2020). Circulating miR-216a as a biomarker of metabolic alterations and obesity in women. Non-Coding rna research, 5(3), 144-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ncrna.2020.08.001
- Prando, V., Bertoli, S., Favaro, G., Guescini, M., Di Mauro, V., Di Bona, A., Lo Verso, F., Soares, R., Dokshokova, L., Martins, P. D. C., Capri, M., Salvioli, S., Franceschi, C., Catalucci, D., Mongillo, M., Sandri, M., & Zaglia, T. (2020). Circulating muscle-derived MIR-206 links skeletal muscle dysfunction to cardiac autonomic denervation. Vascular Pharmacology, 132, Article 106742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vph.2020.106742
- Santos-Faria, J., Gavina, C., Rodrigues, P., Coelho, J., Martins, P. D. C., Leite-Moreira, A., & Falcao-Pires, I. (2020). MicroRNAs and ventricular remodeling in aortic stenosis. Revista portuguesa de cardiologia, 39(7), 377-387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repc.2019.09.014
- De Majo, F., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2020). CircRNAs in the heart: bricks in Brunelleschi's Dome. Cardiovascular Research, 116(7), 1240-1241. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvaa020
- Vonhoegen, I. G. C., el Azzouzi, H., Olieslagers, S., Vasilevich, A., de Boer, J., Tinahones, F. J., Martins, P. A. D. C., de Windt, L. J., & Murri, M. (2020). MiR-337-3p Promotes Adipocyte Browning by Inhibiting TWIST1. Cells, 9(4), Article 1056. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9041056
- Peters, M. M. C., Sampaio-Pinto, V., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2020). Non-coding RNAs in endothelial cell signalling and hypoxia during cardiac regeneration. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Cell Research, 1867(3), Article 118515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.07.010
2019
- Zaglia, T., Prando, V., Bertoli, S., Favaro, G., Di Mauro, V., Guescini, M., Di Bona, A., Lo Verso, F., Soares, R., Martins, P. D. C., Catalucci, D., Mongillo, M., & Sandri, M. (2019). Circulating muscle-derived mir-206 links skeletal muscle dysfunction to cardiac autonomic denervation. European Heart Journal, 40, 80-80. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz747.0078
- Raso, A., Dirkx, E., Philippen, L. E., Fernandez-Celis, A., De Majo, F., Sampaio-Pinto, V., Sansonetti, M., Juni, R., el Azzouzi, H., Calore, M., Bitsch, N., Olieslagers, S., Oerlemans, M. I. F. J., Huibers, M. M., de Weger, R. A., Reckman, Y. J., Pinto, Y. M., Zentilin, L., Zacchigna, S., ... De Windt, L. J. (2019). Therapeutic Delivery of miR-148a Suppresses Ventricular Dilation in Heart Failure. Molecular Therapy, 27(3), 584-599. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.11.011
- Duygu, B., Juni, R., Ottaviani, L., Bitsch, N., Wit, J. B. M., de Windt, L. J., & Martins, P. A. D. C. (2019). Comparison of different chemically modified inhibitors of miR-199b in vivo. Biochemical Pharmacology, 159, 106-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2018.11.013
- Ali, T., Mushtaq, I., Maryam, S., Farhan, A., Saba, K., Jan, M. I., Sultan, A., Anees, M., Duygu, B., Hamera, S., Tabassum, S., Javed, Q., Martin, P. A. D. C., & Murtaza, I. (2019). Interplay of N- acetyl cysteine and melatonin in regulating oxidative stress-induced cardiac hypertrophic factors and microRNAs. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 661, 56-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2018.11.007
2018
- Abreu, R. C., & Martins, P. A. (2018). cROSsing the cardiac MIRe: fibroblast-cardiomyocyte ex(o)press. American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology, 314(6), H1253-H1255. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00096.2018
2017
- D'Souza, A., Pearman, C. M., Wang, Y., Nakao, S., Logantha, S. J. R. J., Cox, C., Bennett, H., Zhang, Y., Johnsen, A. B., Linscheid, N., Poulsen, P. C., Elliott, J., Coulson, J., McPhee, J., Robertson, A., Martins, P. A. D. C., Kitmitto, A., Wisloff, U., Cartwright, E. J., ... Boyett, M. R. (2017). Targeting miR-423-5p Reverses Exercise Training-Induced HCN4 Channel Remodeling and Sinus Bradycardia. Circulation Research, 121(9), 1058-1068. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.311607
- da Costa Martins, P. A. (2017). Mononuclear Diploidy at the Heart of Cardiomyocyte Proliferation. Cell Stem Cell, 21(4), 421-422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2017.09.012
- Ottaviani, L., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2017). Non-coding RNAs in cardiac hypertrophy. Journal of Physiology, 595(12), 4037-4050. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP273129
2016
- Ottaviani, L., De Windt, L. J., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2016). Exosomes: scytales in the damaged heart. Annals of translational medicine, 4(11), Article 222. https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2016.05.17
- Duygu, B., de Windt, L. J., & Da Costa Martins, P. (2016). Targeting microRNAs in heart failure. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, 26(2), 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcm.2015.05.008
2015
- Philippen, L. E., Dirkx, E., Wit, J. B. M., Burggraaf, K., de Windt, L. J., & Martins, P. A. D. C. (2015). Antisense MicroRNA Therapeutics in Cardiovascular Disease: Quo Vadis?Molecular Therapy, 23(12), 1810-1818. https://doi.org/10.1038/mt.2015.133
- Philippen, L. E., Dirkx, E., da Costa-Martins, P. A., & De Windt, L. J. (2015). Non-coding RNA in control of gene regulatory programs in cardiac development and disease. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 89(Pt A), 51-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjmcc.2015.03.014
- Grootaert, M. O. J., Martins, P. A. D. C., Bitsch, N., Pintelon, I., De Meyer, G. R. Y., Martinet, W., & Schrijvers, D. M. (2015). Defective autophagy in vascular smooth muscle cells accelerates senescence and promotes neointima formation and atherogenesis. Autophagy, 11(11), 2014-2032. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548627.2015.1096485
- Lok, S. I., de Jonge, N., van Kuik, J., van Geffen, A. J. P., Huibers, M. M. H., van der Weide, P., Siera, E., Winkens, B., Doevendans, P. A., de Weger, R. A., & Da Costa Martins, P. A. (2015). MicroRNA Expression in Myocardial Tissue and Plasma of Patients with End-Stage Heart Failure during LVAD Support: Comparison of Continuous and Pulsatile Devices. PLOS ONE, 10(10), Article e0136404. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0136404
- Poels, E. M., Martins, P. A. D. C., & van Empel, V. P. M. (2015). Adaptive capacity of the right ventricle: why does it fail?American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology, 308(8), H803-H813. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00573.2014
- Duygu, B., & Martins, P. A. D. C. (2015). miR-21: a star player in cardiac hypertrophy. Cardiovascular Research, 105(3), 235-237. https://doi.org/10.1093/cvr/cvv026
2014
- Martins, P. A. D. C., Leptidis, S., & De Windt, L. J. (2014). Nuclear Calcium Transients Hermes Propylaios in the Heart. Circulation, 130(3), 221-223. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010675
- Poels, E. M., Bitsch, N., Slenter, J. M., Kooi, M. E., de Theije, C. C., De Windt, L. J., van Empel, V. P., & da Costa Martins, P. A. (2014). Supplementing exposure to hypoxia with a copper depleted diet does not exacerbate right ventricular remodeling in mice. PLOS ONE, 9(4), Article 92983. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0092983
- Roncarati, R., Anselmi, C. V., Losi, M. A., Papa, L., Cavarretta, E., Martins, P. D. C., Contaldi, C., Jotti, G. S., Franzone, A., Galastri, L., Latronico, M. V. G., Imbriaco, M., Esposito, G., De Windt, L., Betocchi, S., & Condorelli, G. (2014). Circulating miR-29a, Among Other Up-Regulated MicroRNAs, Is the Only Biomarker for Both Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 63(9), 920-927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2013.09.041
2013
- Kuster, D. W. D., Mulders, J., ten Cate, F. J., Michels, M., dos Remedios, C. G., Martins, P. A. D. C., van der Velden, J., & Oudejans, C. B. M. (2013). MicroRNA transcriptome profiling in cardiac tissue of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with MYBPC3 mutations. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, 65, 59-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yjmcc.2013.09.012
- Dirkx, E., da Costa Martins, P. A., & De Windt, L. J. (2013). Regulation of fetal gene expression in heart failure. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta-Molecular Basis of Disease, 1832(12), 2414-2424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2013.07.023
- Dirkx, E., Gladka, M. M., Philippen, L. E., Armand, A.-S., Kinet, V., Leptidis, S., el Azzouzi, H., Salic, K., Bourajjaj, M., da Silva, G. J. J., Olieslagers, S., van der Nagel, R., de Weger, R., Bitsch, N., Kisters, N., Seyen, S., Morikawa, Y., Chanoine, C., Heymans, S., ... De Windt, L. J. (2013). Nfat and miR-25 cooperate to reactivate the transcription factor Hand2 in heart failure. Nature Cell Biology, 15(11), 1282-1293. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb2866
- El Azzouzi, H., Leptidis, S., Dirkx, E., Hoeks, J., van Bree, B., van de Brand, K., McClellan, E. A., Poels, E., Sluimer, J. C., van den Hoogenhof, M. M., Armand, A. S., Yin, X., Langley, S., Bourajjaj, M., Olieslagers, S., Krishnan, J., Vooijs, M., Kurihara, H., Stubbs, A., ... De Windt, L. J. (2013). The Hypoxia-Inducible MicroRNA Cluster miR-199a similar to 214 Targets Myocardial PPAR delta and Impairs Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation. Cell Metabolism, 18(3), 341-354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2013.08.009
- Lok, S. I., van Mil, A., Bovenschen, N., van der Weide, P., van Kuik, J., van Wichen, D., Peeters, T., Siera, E., Winkens, B., Sluijter, J. P. G., Doevendans, P. A., Martins, P. A. D. C., de Jonge, N., & de Weger, R. A. (2013). Post-transcriptional Regulation of a-1-Antichymotrypsin by MicroRNA-137 in Chronic Heart Failure and Mechanical Support. Circulation-Heart Failure, 6(4), 853-861. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.112.000255

Overview

Latest news & events

MLDS grant Sabine Daemen

15 November 2024

Our new Division Leaders

3 October 2024

Paula da Costa Martins

Associate professor