How do our genes influence the aorta, the body’s main blood vessel?

Genetic determinants of aortic morphology and function (Dr Catherine Fletcher)

Supervised by Professor Stuart Cook, a Clinical Research Training Fellow is working out which genes determine the stiffness and size of the main blood vessel exiting the heart, the aorta. The dimensions and flexibility of this vessel can indicate a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. Professor Cook’s research team has already found some new genes which might be important in the ‘stretchiness’ of the aorta and may influence heart and circulatory disease risk. In this project, the fellow will study the whole genetic code of 1750 healthy people, alongside advanced imaging methods to measure the aorta, to determine which genetic factors affect the size, shape and function of the vessel. They will find out if these same genes are altered in conditions like heart disease and aneurysm. This research will reveal the genes that define what the aorta does, and how it affects heart disease and stroke risk. This information will help doctors work out a person’s risk of heart disease, stroke and aortic diseases and may reveal new targets for new drugs to treat these conditions.