Valorisation is the process of translating scientific knowledge into tangible societal impact. In practice, it means converting fundamental discoveries into innovations that improve patient care, such as diagnostics or targeted therapies. 

Within our research group, we focus on developing a minimally invasive blood-based diagnostic for patients with angina and no obstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA), a condition that predominantly affects women and remains substantially underdiagnosed. 

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) accounts for approximately 1–4% of all acute coronary syndrome cases. Although rare overall, it is responsible for up to 25–40% of myocardial infarctions in women under the age of 50, who comprise ~90% of SCAD patients, underscoring its strong female predominance. 

SCAD is characterized by a sudden separation of the coronary arterial wall layers, either due to an intimal tear or intramural haemorrhage. This creates a false lumen that compresses the true lumen, leading to impaired coronary blood flow and myocardial infarction. 

Angina and non-obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) are still too often interpreted as a reassuring finding, after which patients are sent home without further evaluation. In reality, a large proportion of patients, predominantly women, who undergo coronary angiography for chest pain do not have obstructive disease in the epicardial arteries but continue to have symptoms and a poor outcome. 

In many of these patients, symptoms are driven by coronary dysfunction, including microvascular dysfunction and vasospasm. Patients with microvascular or vasospastic angina frequently experience persistent symptoms, impaired quality of life, and an increased risk of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a condition that is particularly prevalent in women and is increasingly recognized because of coronary microvascular dysfunction. 

Cardiovascular disease accounts for 51% of deaths in women and 42% in men in Europe. A major underlying cause is atherosclerosis, a chronic condition in which fatty substances such as cholesterol accumulate in the vessel wall over many years, forming plaques. These plaques narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow. If a plaque becomes unstable and disrupts, a blood clot can form and suddenly block the vessel. When this occurs in the heart or brain, it leads to a heart attack or stroke.