The map of genetic variants harmful to the heart. The study, published in the journal Nature, lays the foundations for early diagnosis and for designing targeted drugs.
43 of the 306 variants linked to coronary heart disease also play an important role in a rare pathology known as 'cerebral cavernous malformation', which affects the blood vessels of the brain. “It is remarkable that this approach immediately pointed us towards new genes and pathways that had previously escaped attention,” says author Jesse Engreitz.