Acknowledgements

Like all thesis this one owes a debt of gratitude to so many people and circumstances that it would be impossible to list them all. Firstly I would like to thank my directors, Dr. Santiago Lamas Pelez and Dr. Fernando Rodrguez Pascual, to them I owe a great part of my gratitude and recognition as well as my acquired knowledge. To Santiago for inspiring in me the scientific enthusiasm and keenness that have driven me to refine and improve my mind, intelligence and knowledge. To Fernando whose example of the reproducibility of experiments as a foundation for the scientific method has left his mark on my training. To all of my colleagues in the laboratory for their contributions to this thesis. Especially to my friend scar Busnadiego with whom I have had the pleasure of sharing, learning and discovering so many things. To Rosa Bretn with whom I have shared the language of enthusiasm and continued strength in search of personal and professional development. To Maria Angeles Higueras and Mariano Redondo Horcajo whose openness, warmth and magnanimity are a shining example of friendship. To Clara Lpez and Noem Magn for their generosity with the technical work. To Estrella Soria for her administrative management. I am in debt to Dr. Rosa Ana Garca Fernndez from the veterinary faculty of UCM, whose efficient and affectionate help has contributed exceedingly to the hypotheses found in this thesis. Thank you for your friendship and your loyalty. To Dr. Patricia Carreira, senior doctor of Rheumatology at Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid, for bridging the current gap between the clinic and the laboratories of basic research, something that is desperately needed in biomedical research in Spain. Also to the patients from her unit who disinterestedly donated samples for the research which was gathered for this thesis. To Dr. Andrew Leask from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. My stay in your laboratory represents a turning point in my under graduate studies. My gratitude for your guidance and recommendations in experimental design as well as improving my capacity to formulate hypotheses in a broad and clear manner. I am grateful to him for the concept of FAK as a therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis from which this thesis is derived. To our collaborators Dr. David Abraham and Dr. Xu Shi-Wen from University College in London for their contributions. For his famed brilliance and ability to Dr. Mohit Kapoor from lUniversite de Montreal in Canada from whom I learned to define the real impact of scientific contributions as well as designing strategies and effective approaches for the resolution of experimental problems. I am in debt to him for showing me that I didnt even realize how ignorant I was back then. To the researchers Dr. Andrew Martin Tager and Dr. Andrew Luster from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA. My determined openness to research and great thoughts comes from them. There I was made aware of the concept of scientific credibility as well as the importance of original and unconventional thought as a foundation of any important contribution. Finally they taught me the necessity of developing social intelligence in the forums of every scientific community. One must remember the inestimable collaboration of Dr. Anna Serrano Mollar from Hospital Clinic de Barcelona /IIBB-CSIC who disinterestedly helped me in understanding the animal models for the pulmonary fibrosis study that appears in the thesis. I must also mention our collaborators Dr. Jess Loureiro and Dr. Manuel Lpez Cabrera from CBM for their invaluable instruction in the study in vivo of peritoneal fibrosis.

Although at this point I can not be exhaustive I would like to credit the following scientists, Rafael Radi, Natalia Romero, Carmelo Bernabu, Mara Monsalve, Antonio Martnez Ruiz, Santiago Rodrguez de Crdoba, Juan Miguel Redondo, Carlos Fernndez Hernando, Luis Escribano, Marcela del Ro y Fernando Larcher for their useful academic advice and personal recommendations. The subject of my gratitude would be nearly endless if I named all of the people from all of the research centers and institutions where Ive had the pleasure of working. Undoubtedly my best memories are centered around the people from CIB. My many thanks to them for all the wonderful moments to Rodrigo Guzmn, Carlos Campos, Asier Jaio, scar Brtulos and Enrique Martnez all of them prime examples of creativity and disguise, fireflies wherever you are. To my neighbors and classmates Beatriz Garzn and Beatriz Dacal, to Andrea Collado, Isabel Conde, Rubn Martnez Barricarte, ngela Rey, Eva Garrido, Karem Caraballo, Fco. Javier Blanco and Ana Cristina Valbuena. To the everlasting chimerical football team and pre/post doctorates from CBM; to my colleagues from IIB and CNIC from my beginnings. On a more intimate note I would like to list some people whose friendships have inspired me during this time period. To Roberto Iglesias, your friendship has been one of the best discoveries of my doctoral thesis. For their support and hospitality to a Luis Martn, Sara Lpez, Anabel Garca, Alberto Martnez, Cristina Nez, Ernesto Martn Luna, Eva Gonzlez y Jacinto Sarmentero. You always brought out the best scientist in me. To Danielle Nash for her disinterested help in the translation of this text from Spanish into English. From Boston Id like to mention Flavia Castelino, Norikito Sakai and Jos Luis Alonso with whom Ive shared invaluable time. From Toronto to Mac Esmailnia and Shangxi Liu. To Sara Fernndez who always posed just the right question so that I would doubt my own personal interpretation. Thank you for your subtle tact which helped me deal with and solve difficult subjects. To my friends and colleagues Jos Javier Zamorano Len and Javier Pizarro with whom I planted the first seeds of inquisitiveness, dedication and intelligence necessary to overcome and solve scientific problems. To Patricia Grande for her unconditional support. Im grateful for your smile and the overwhelming hope you freely give away every day, in her I find the true measure of my personal achievements. Together with you Ive chosen the parameters, weight and tone of every thought these last years. And to your family. To my friends Daniel Lpez and Juan Antonio Hita for opening their homes to me and making me feel like I was part of the family. And to your families. Finally I give thanks to my family and in particular my mother Elena who lovingly gave me everything I needed to develop my abilities. I would like to say with all sincerity that they have always provided me with a warm and supportive environment. My heart is always with you all.