Coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction

Coordinator of research tropic

Prof. Dr. Heribert Schunkert

Department of Medicine 2

University of Schleswig-Holstein,

Campus Lübeck

Ratzeburger Allee 160

23538 Lübeck

email:  heribert.schunkert@innere2.uni-luebeck.de

Phone: 0451-500 2501

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a multifactorial process. The genetic background of the myocardial infarction the scientists of this topic recently performed field studies and as well as genome wide screens in human populations and in mouse models.

In the current analyses the gene variants which are relevant for coronary artery diseases (CAD) shall be identified and characterized.

In the subproject CV2.1 the locus of a gene on chromosome 14q32 which is involved in MI shall be investigated in 1574 sibling pairs with CAD using microsatellites and SNP-based procedures. A preliminary LD-map at this locus together with preliminary associations of SNPs and haplotypes with MI shall be validated using additional refined sequencing, associations and functional analyses.

In subproject CV 2.2 chromosomal loci which are autosomally and dominantly associated with MI shall be analyzed in larger pedigrees. Candidate genes at this locus shall be sequenced and functionally analyzed if they show a genetic variant.

In subproject CV2.3 the heritability of the detailed coronary morphology including the calcification and coronary ectatic lesions shall be characterized. The preliminary data from coronary angiograms of some thousand sibling pairs and their extended families shall be recruited for the characterization of respective phenotypes which have been identified in genome wide screens. Genes with are potentially involved in coronary calcification will be analyzed in more detail with respect to data from the vascular calzified mouse, which chromosomal loci and candidate genes have been identified successfully.

more information about the working group:

http://www.innere2.mu-luebeck.de/