Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) caused 51% of deaths in Europe in 2001.Coronary heart disease and stroke, which result from atherosclerosis, constitute 80% of CVD. Better prevention and treatments have halved age-specific incidence, but the ageing population and adverse trends in obesity and diabetes threaten these improvements. There is also an alarming increase in heart failure, the end stage of coronary heart disease. Future advances depend on developing entirely new strategies. Genomics and proteomics together complete human genome open up fresh horizons for molecular understanding of cardiovascular disease, for identifying new diagnostic measurements and developing new pharmacological, gene and cell-based therapies. The European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN) assembles the necessary critical mass and promotes multidisciplinary interactions by uniting 25 world-leading basic and clinical institutions from 9 European countries. It focusses on the three areas with greatest therapeutic potential: 1) endothelial dysfunction, an early critical event in atherosclerosis and hence a target for prevention, 2) plaque instability, responsible for precipitating thrombosis and hence most life-threatening acute events, and 3) therapeutic angiogenesis either conventional or cell-based to recover ischaemic organ function and reduce heart failure. Our research armoury spans genomics, proteomics, molecular biology, cell biology, gene transfer and genetic modification in mice, and integrative pathophysiology in man. The EVGN will maximize the scientific and commercial potential of European vascular biology by electronic data-sharing and communication networks, shared research tools, and exchange and training programmes. The EVGN will train tomorrow's lead investigators through a European training programme for PhD students, which will also address adverse gender balance and encourage excellence in Eastern Europe, which suffers high prevalence of CVD.
Keywords:
Vascular Biology, Atherosclerosis, Angiogenesis, Endothelium, Endothelial Progenitor Cell
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