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Abstract: Ventricular arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality. Currently there is no effective treatment available, largely because our understanding of their molecular basis is poor. Altered intracellular Ca handling may be a final common pathway predisposing to ventricular tachycardias and sudden death in acquired or congenital heart disease.
Understanding the complex function of the RyR2 Ca channel and its regulatory mechanisms, therefore, holds the promise to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for effective treatment of these lethal arrhythmias.
The goal pursued by the CONTICA group is the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms linking defective RyR2 function to the generation of arrhythmias.
The combined knowledge gained from these studies will be used to develop and test novel diagnostic approaches and antiarrhythmic drugs to help alleviate one of the largest health burdens to the European society, i.e. malignant ventricular arrhythmias.

Staff: Pieske, Burkert Mathias, Project Leader; Kockskämper, Jens, Sub Projectleader; Heinzel, Frank, Co-worker; Sedej, Simon, Co-worker; Post, Heiner, Co-worker

Project partners: Agrobiogen GmbH, Germany; Georg-August-University Goettingen/Bereich Humanmedizin , Germany; IMGM Laboratories GmbH, Germany; Institut National de Sante et Recherche Medicale, France; IRCCS Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri - Molecular Cardiology Laboratories, Italy; University Medical Center Utrecht, Netherlands; University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Ústav molekulárnej fyziológie a genetiky Slovenskej Akadémie Vied, Slovakia

Project results published: > Protein Phosphatase-1 Binding Motifs.... Acta Biomedica Lovaniensia 354; [ Dissertation ] Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, BELGIUM; 2006. pp.112.