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Medical and health sciences
- Vascular diseases
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Engineering and technology
- Genetically modified animals
Despite significant advancements in surgical patient care, heritable thoracic aortic disease (HTAD) remains a stealthy and deadly condition. The aorta can dilate without any symptoms, increasing the risk of life-threatening aortic dissection and rupture. Regular monitoring of aortic dimensions in at-risk patients can help identify when the dilation reaches a critical point, indicating the need for surgical repair to prevent dissection. Unfortunately, aortic dissection can still occur before this threshold is reached, and currently, there is no medical treatment to prevent it.
We aim to deepen our understanding of the processes leading to thoracic aortic damage by using both zebrafish and mouse models. Our overarching goal is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Findings from these versatile animal models will be validated by testing unique samples from patients with HTAD, facilitating an efficient translation of our research results into clinical practice.