A meeting point for cardiovascular research

The MDC hosts the first international DZHK symposium from Nov. 22-24.

Cardiovascular diseases pose such a great challenge to biomedicine because of their complex origins and systemic effects on the body. Many genes contribute to their development, alongside lifestyle factors that may take decades to have cumulative and deadly effects. Identifying the causes of these diseases and finding new treatments will require integrating work from fields as diverse as biochemistry and structural biology and clinical work with patients. The interdisciplinary approaches of many MDC groups working on this theme have led to a central role for our institute in the German Center for Cardiovascular Disease (DHKZ). On Nov. 20-22 the Center will host its first international symposium, bringing together expertise from throughout Germany and the international community.

The symposium’s title, “Receptors, G Proteins and Integration of Ca2+ Signaling in the Cardiovascular System,” reflects the need for integration in developing new approaches to the disease. Research has exposed some of the key biochemical signaling systems within cells that contribute to the functions of the heart and cardiovascular system. But there is currently no clear view of how different systems are orchestrated to produce states of health or disease.

“We have chosen speakers whose work represents novel biophysical, genetic, and pharmacological approaches to these very serious diseases,” says Enno Klußmann of the MDC, one of the organizers. “We hope that the result will be a deeper mechanistic understanding of the regulation of the cardiovascular system and its deregulation in a variety of diseases. We also hope to learn about novel pharmacological strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.”

Enno, who will give a talk on the first day, has been coordinating the event with Thomas Gudermann (Munich), Michael Bader (Berlin), Marc Freichel (Heidelberg), and Stefan Offermanns (Bad Nauheim). Other speakers from the MDC include Michael Bader, Thomas Jentsch, and departing MDC director Walter Rosenthal.

The organizers hope to attract a wide, interdisciplinary audience. Participants should register at the website.