Rapid advances in molecular medicine have led to pronounced new developments in experimental and clinical cardiology. In the embrace of modern molecular biology and bridging the gap between the clinical and the genomic, cardiovascular medicine has seen major strides in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive disease progression. The ability to rapidly identify candidate human genes for cardiovascular diseases lends itself to the development of diverse strategies for disease treatment and management. The wide variety of gene expressions proffers excellent targets for novel therapeutics. Gene therapy is steadily increasing in viability and represents a fascinating arena of research and clinical focus.

This book is based on two international Mendel symposia on "Genes and the Heart," joint meetings of the Japanese and European sections of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences. Highlighting selected symposia contributions, this book explores the role of molecular biology and genetics in the basic knowledge, genesis, and clinical interventions of cardiovascular diseases.

Inhalt

Johann Gregor Mendel Father of modern genetics.- Gene therapy: hopes and problems.- VEGFs, FGFs and PDGF coordinate embryonic coronary vascularization.- The E2F pathway in cardiac development and disease.- Cardiac sodium-calcium exchanger expression.- Scleraxis: a new regulator of extracellular matrix formation.- Gender impact on pathophysiology of the heart.- Mitochondrial DNA and heart disease.- A novel algorithm from personal genome to the pathogenic mutant causing mitochondrial cardiomyopathy.- MELAS Syndrome: mediated by impaired taurinomethyluridine synthesis.- Genetics of myocardial infarction.- Genetic background of myocardial infarction.- I/D ACE polymorphism and cardiovascular risk: disclosed story.- PPARs and myocardial response to ischemia in normal and diseased heart.- Genes and plasma lipids in Czech Slavic population.- Genetic basis of salt-sensitive hypertension in humans.- Gene-environment interactions: their role in hypertension development.- Phenotypic overlap of lethal arrhythmias associated with cardiac sodium mutations: Individual-specific or mutation-specific?.- CLP-1 mediated transcriptional control of hypertrophic gene programs underlying cardiac hypertrophy.- Molecular mechanisms of subcellular remodeling in congestive heart failure.- Cardiomyopathy, sarcomeropathy and Z-discopathy.- Left ventricular assist device: morphological, molecular and genetic changes after mechanical support.- Vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: a good experimental model is needed for development of treatment strategies.- Multi-scale, multi-physics heart simulator as a tool to link bench and bedside.