SFB 355: Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

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The central theme of the collaborative research centre is the study of the causes, consequences, and therapy of heart failure. The heart failure syndrome results primarily from heart and circulatory diseases such as coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, and has a major medical and socio-economic impact due to its increasing incidence. The multifactorial etiology and complex consequences for other organ systems requires an interdisciplinary research approach. Research groups of section A (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) develop new NMR methods for analysis of cardiac morphology, circulation, metabolism, and function. These methods are applied a) to pathophysiological mechanisms of heart failure, and b) to clinical studies of patients treated for heart failure. Section B (Pathophysiology) investigates the basic mechanisms of development of chronic heart failure after myocardial infarction, especially the role of endogenous hormones (renin, angiotensin, endothelin, atrial natriuretic factors, and nitric oxide), endothelial cells, and important regulators of calcium homeostasis. Section C (Pathobiochemistry and Molecular Biology) focuses on analyses of cell and molecular biology of the functions of receptors for hormones as well as adhesion and growth factors, and their significance with respect to heart failure. Furthermore, genetically engineered transgenic mice are being developed and examined as animal models of heart disease in the Würzburg collaborative research centre 355 using the recently developed methods in biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, and physics. In 2002, the DFG granted an additional young investigator group focussing on the effectors of endothelial permeability.