An international team of researchers led by Daniel J. Rader, MD, associate director of Penn Medicine's Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, has received a $6 million grant from the Paris-based Fondation Leducq to study the molecular genetics of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The team's proposal, "Molecular Mechanisms of Novel Genes Associated with Plasma Lipids and Cardiovascular Disease," was selected to receive the award through the Fondation's Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program.
The investigation will focus on determining the molecular mechanisms of some of the most compelling genes to come out of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for coronary heart disease and heart attack. Specifically, the research team will study six novel genes found by GWAS to be associated with heart disease in order to rigorously assess their function in physiological processes associated with cardiovascular disease and whether or not they are viable targets for future therapeutic developments.
The multidisciplinary, international research team includes experts in epidemiology, human genetics, molecular and cell biology, and animal physiology. In addition to identifying new potential therapeutic targets, this research program will also establish an infrastructure for the systematic evaluation of future GWAS results in the area of cardiovascular disease.
The award is funded through the Fondation Leducq's Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Program. Each research network receives $6 million over five years to support a collaborative research program involving European and North American investigators.
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