volume 17, number 1

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http://ees.elsevier.com/jmcc/default.aspfor online submission

of manuscripts

Heart News

and views

Volume 17, Number 1, 2009

www.ishrworld.org

the news Bulletin of the International Society

for heart research

In this issue:

� Report on North American

Section Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

� Past Truth & Present Poetry,

by Richard J. Bing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

� Richard J. Bing Award 2010 . . . . 5

� President's Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

� XX World Congress of the ISHR 8

� Call for FISHR Nominations . . . . 9

� Report on Japanese Section

Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

� In Memoriam Howard E. Morgan 11

� In Memoriam Philip A. Poole-

Wilson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

� Report on ISHR-ES/SERVIER

Research Fellowship 2007 . . . . . 13

� Meetings Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

baltimore: A city of firsts

XX World

Congress

May 13-16, 2010

kyoto, japan

10

yokohama,

japan

december

2008

The 2009 ISHR North American Section Meeting was held in the “CharmCity”, Baltimore, Maryland from May 26th through May 29th at the BaltimoreMarriot Waterfront Hotel. Baltimore is a city known for many things

including being the home of the Major League Baseball’s Orioles, the NationalFootball League’s Ravens, burial place for one of America’s most renowned poets,Edgar Allan Poe, and the location of the naval battle that inspired the lyrics to the“Star Spangled Banner”. A number of “firsts” also occurred in this: the first icecream freezer in 1848, the first stomach antacid-seltzer was developed in 1891, thefirst surgery for treatment of Tetralogy of Fallot in 1944, and the home of the firstAfrican-American to serve on the US Supreme Court in 1967. So, it’s no surprisethat Baltimore was chosen as the site for this year’s North American SectionMeeting. The conference was jointly sponsored by the ISHR and the Universityof Maryland’s School of Medicine and was organized by Meredith Bond, WilliamStanley, Mandeep Mehra, Tish Murphy, Brian O’Rourke, and David Kass. Thetheme of this year’s meeting was “New Discoveries for Prevention and Treatmentof Heart Disease” and this was clearly evident throughout all of the sciencepresented.

The first day of the conference was action packed! It began with Interest GroupWorkshops, which focused on specific topics followed by discussion on the futuredirection and leadership of the Interest Groups. After your choice of 3 differentworkshops, the always-exciting Young Investigator Competition took place. Thisyear the Young Investigator Competition was split into two categories with Early

Women of the ISHR(from left to right)

Litsa Kranias(Treasurer),

Meredith Bond(Meeting organizer),

and Tish Murphy(President-Elect)

8-9

research

fellow-

ship

2007

13-15

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the news bulletin of the international society for heart research

Career Finalists, which consisted ofgraduate students through 3rd year post-docs, and Senior Fellows and AssistantProfessor Finalists. The competitors ofthe Junior competition were Grant Budas(Stanford University), Dao-Fu Dai(University of Washington), and AsukaOta (UCLA) and the finalists for the Seniorcompetition were Julie Bossuyt (UC,Davis), Claudia Lagranha (NHLBI),Marcello Rota (Harvard Medical School),and Lina Shehadeh (University of Miami).The competition was intense with everyparticipant doing an excellent job.Unfortunately, we would have to waituntil Thursday evening’s Gala to find outthe winners.

Following the Young Investigator Com–petition was the presentation of theDistinguished Leader Award, which waspresented to Dr Robert Jennings of DukeUniversity. As the first recipient of thisprestigious award, Dr Jennings washonored for his leadership and out–standing contributions to accomplishingthe mission and advancing the objectivesof the ISHR.

Recipient of the inaugural ISHRDistinguished Leader Award, Dr

Robert Jennings (Duke University)

The next two days were filled withstimulating and thought-provokingscientific presentations by leaders in thefields of proteomics, EC coupling, obesity

and nutrition in heart failure, hypertrophy,and imaging. Some excellent newapproaches to enhancing our under–standing of the heart disease processwere presented and led to great discussionand enthusiasm for the treatment of heartdisease. These discussions continuedon throughout the evening reception andposter sessions where scientists couldmingle over a glass of wine. New this year,poster presentations were judged and sixwinners were chosen and announced atthe Gala.

This year’s Gala Event was held at theAmerican Visionary Art Museum acrossthe scenic Inner Harbor from the hotel. Ifyou had a chance to look around themuseum before the Gala started, you wouldhave noticed a number of unique andinteresting works of art, including the 20-foot tall pink poodle, the 5-foot in diameterball of brassieres, and an old-fashionedstation wagon covered in colored glassbottles. The surroundings provided greatambiance for laid-back discussion andfun.

A number of awards were given out at theGala event. The first award to be givenout was for the JMCC Early Career

The Young Investigator Finalists (from left to right): Dau-Fu Dai, Marcello Rota,Claudia Lagranha, Grant Budas (winner of Junior Competition), Don Bers

(President, North American Section), Barry London (Chair, Young InvestigatorCompetition), Julie Bossuyt, Asuka Ota, and Lina Shehadeh (winner of the

Senior Competition)

Authors Prize. The winner was Dr ThomasJ. Hund of Washington University in St.Louis. Two runners-up, Dr Suresh S.Palaniyandi of Stanford University andDr John Fahrenbach of Loyola University,were also announced. The winners of theISHR International Poster Awards wereSamarjit Das (Johns Hopkins University),Alexey Glukhov (Washington Univer–sity), Takeshi Aiba (Johns HopkinsUniversity), Mariah Goodall (Universityof Maryland at Baltimore), Claudia Preston(Mayo Clinic), and Julio Ferreira (StanfordUniversity). Finally, the winners of theYoung Investigator Competition wererevealed. Dr Grant Budas, who spokeabout HSP90-mediated mitochondrialimport of PKCε and how it is essential forcytoprotection, was the winner of thejunior competition. Dr Lina Shehadehwas the winner of the senior competition.Her talk focused on regulation ofcompensatory angiogenesis duringcardiac hypertrophy by a p300-miR-17~92feedback loop.

The conference ended on a high note withthe President’s Distinguished Lecture,given by Dr R. John Solaro of theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago. Thishonor is bestowed upon an individual

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volume 17, number 1, 2009

Litsa Kranias and the Recipient of thePresident’s Distinguished Lecture

Award, Dr R. John Solaro (Universityof Illinois, Chicago)

who has made significant contributionsto the advancement of cardiovascularscience in the fields of molecular biology,genetics, genomics or proteomics. Pastwinners of this award include Dr MarkSussman of San Diego State University,

Don Bers (President, North American Section) and runners-up for the JMCCEarly Career Authors Prize, Suresh S.Palaniyandi (Mast cells and εPKC: A

role in cardiac remodeling in hypertension-induced heart failure; JMCC 2008;45: 779-786) and John Fahrenbach (Decreased intercellular coupling

improves the function of cardiac pacemakers derived from mouse embryonicstem cells; JMCC 2008; 45: 642-649). Absent from the meeting was thewinner, Thomas J. Hund (Role of activated CaMKII in abnormal calcium

homeostasis and INa remodeling after myocardial infarction: Insights frommathematical modeling; JMCC 2008; 45: 420-428).

Dr Jeffrey Robbins of Cincinnati Chil–dren’s Hospital, and Dr Gerd Hasenfussof the Georg August University MedicalSchool , Goettingen, Germany. As thekeynote speaker for the 2009 NorthAmerican Section Meeting, Dr Solaropresented an elegant lecture entitled“Integration of Cardiac SarcomericControl Mechanisms with EC Couplingand Metabolism.“ This lecture focusedon the emerging role of protein phos–

Authors of the article (from left to right): Anne Deschamps,Renee Wong, and Mark Kohr (NHLBI, NIH)

phatases in the modulation of myocardialcontractility. Dr Solaro described a novelsignaling pathway whereby p 21-activatedkinase-1 (PAK-1) serves to regulate theactivity of protein phosphatase 2a, whichin turn is a critical regulator of sarcomeredynamics. Although much attention hasbeen focused on protein kinases in theregulation of myocardial contraction, DrSolaro emphasized a key role for proteinphosphatase 2a.

And now we can say that we’ve addedanother “first” to Baltimore’s long list, asit played host for the first time to the ISHRNorth American Section Meeting, whichfocused on “New Discoveries for Pre–vention and Treatment of Heart Disease.”Next year, the 20th World Congress ofISHR will be held in the bustling city ofKyoto, Japan with the theme: ParadigmShift to Integrated Cardiology - Gene,Function and Life (May 13-16, 2010).Deadline for abstract submission isNovember 30, 2009 and Travel Awards areavailable for young investigators, so getthose pipettes pumping!

Anne Deschamps, PhDRenee Wong, PhD

Mark Kohr, PhD �

4


Past truth & present poetry

40. Surgery of the

Young heart:

William glenn &

francis fontan

Richard J. Bing

For many years, congenitalmalformations of the heart were oflittle interest to the medical

profession because there was no treat–ment. As Osler wrote in 1892, “These[congenital affections of the heart] haveonly limited clinical interest, as in a largeproportion of the cases the anomaly is notcompatible with life, and in others nothingcan be done to remedy the fact or even torelieve the symptoms.” This changed withthe development of surgery to repaircongenital cardiac malformations in the20th century by Robert Gross, AlfredBlalock, Clarence Craaford, Russell Brock,and others. It was my good fortune towork with Blalock in Baltimore on thephysiology of congenital heart diseasesduring the earlier phases of his surgicaltreatment of the Tetralogy of Fallot (1940sand 1950s). It was an exciting time whenevery study opened new prospects ofdiagnosis and treatment.

During the following years, introductionof the cardio-pulmonary bypass by JohnH. Gibbon, Jr., permitted completecorrections of some cardiac malformationsby operating on the heart muscle directly.Yet some defects remained beyond thescope of cardiac surgery. The search fora cure for these malformations haschallenged surgical skill and imagination.Restructuring of these hearts, in general,involves attempts to increase the effectivepulmonary blood flow in order to correctthe reduced oxygen tension in systemicblood with all its dire consequences.

The Blalock procedure, developed in the1930s, is an anastomosis between thesubclavican and a pulmonary artery. Itwas a singular achievement in thetreatment of some cyanotic cardiacmalformations such as the Tetralogy ofFallot (pulmonic stenosis, aorta whichoverrides both ventricles). Now, more than50 years later, surgical procedures havebeen developed for the treatment ofcongenital heart diseases includingtricuspid stenosis, Ebstein’s anomaly,

and particularly hypoplastic left heartsyndrome; some of these previouslyhopeless conditions are now amenable topalliative surgical treatment.

In 1951, we published an article on thecirculatory dynamics in patients withtricuspid atresia. One of them was treatedunsuccessfully with a Blalock shunt.Equally unsuccessful were surgicalattempts to treat patients with hypoplasticleft heart syndrome. This was particularlydiscouraging since this malformation cancause death soon after birth. Hypoplasticleft heart syndrome is a spectrum of variousdegrees of hypoplasia of the left ventricle,leaving this chamber unable to maintainsystemic perfusion. Some of these infantsneed surgical palliation in the first hoursof life. Tricuspid atresia, a name given byMaude Abbott, belongs to the generalcategory of univentricular hearts. In thismalformation, the primary lesion is atresiaof the tricuspid valve and as a result theright ventricle is poorly developed.Venous blood from the right atrium passesthrough a patent foramen ovale or aninteratrial septal defect into the left atriumwhere it is mixed with blood returningfrom the lungs. Blood then passes throughthe mitral valve into the left ventricle and

aorta. To reach the lungs for oxygenation,blood may course either through a defectin the ventricular septum into the small,right ventricle and from there into thepulmonary artery or, if the ventricularseptum is intact, through a patent ductusinto the pulmonary artery. In some casesin which the ventricular septum is intactand the ductus has closed, blood reachesthe lungs only through dilated bronchialarteries.

The story of surgical treatment of some ofthese complicated cardiac malformationsis one of imagination and persistence.Two surgeons played a major role: WilliamL. Glenn and Francis Fontan. Glenn wasborn in 1914 in North Carolina, receivedhis MD degree from Jefferson UniversityMedical School and completed hisresidency at Massachusetts GeneralHospital in Boston. In 1948, he becamechief of cardiovascular surgery at YaleUniversity and, in 1954, he created thefirst cavopulmonary shunt in the treatmentof cyanotic congenital malformations, anoperation now referred to as “BidirectionalGlenn” or “bidirectional cavopulmonaryshunt.” This operation creates ananastomosis between the superior venacava and the right branch of the pulmonaryartery, directing venous blood from thehead and upper limbs to the lung,bypassing the right ventricle. This was arevolutionary approach and became animportant palliative treatment of somecardiac malformations.

In 1971, the French physician, FrancisFontan published an article whichextended Glenn’s procedure to open newapproaches to the treatment of somecardiac malformations. As he expressedit, “The procedure is not an anatomicalcorrection, which would require thecreation of a right ventricle, but aprocedure of physiological pulmonaryblood flow restoration, with suppressionof right and left blood mixing.” His purposewas to drain the vena caval blood into thepulmonary artery for oxygenation in the

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Volume 17, Number 1, 2009

lungs. The superior vena cava wasanastomosed to the distal end of thepulmonary artery according to the Glennprocedure. The proximal end of the rightpulmonary artery was then anastomosedto the right atrium. Thus blood from theinferior vena cava drained into the leftpulmonary artery, bypassing the rightventricle. Since this operation, Fontan’sprocedure has been modified to include anumber of major variations, but theprinciple, that of redirecting systemicvenous blood into the pulmonary arteryvia a conduit (preferably extracardiac),bypassing the right ventricle, hasremained. Unfortunately, these procedurescan be followed by complications such asprotein losing enteropathy, thrombo–embolism, and myocardial failure. But theFontan procedure has been life-saving,primarily in patients with univentricularheart.

Francis Fontan was born in 1929 in Francein the foothills of the Pyrenees. His fatherwas a well-known professional cyclist whosuccessfully competed in the Tour deFrance. He attended medical school inBordeaux, serving later as “Interne desHôpitaux,” then commenced working inthe newly created Department of CardiacSurgery. In 1960, he became Chef deClinique of the Department of CardiacSurgery. It was at the Hopital Pellegrin-Tondu in Bordeaux that he developed hisoperation. At that time, he became awareof the work of Russian surgeons who hadattempted a cavopulmonary shunt. But itwas a specific patient’s history whichmotivated Fontan. In this patient, a womanwith tricuspid atresia, Fontan fashionedan end-to-end anastomosis of the superiorvena cava to the right pulmonary artery,connecting the right atrium directly to theremaining part of the bifurcation of thepulmonary trunc. In 1999, the patient wasdoing well. In 1970, Fontan operated onanother patient with tricuspid atresia. Thepatient also improved. These 2 casehistories were first published in 1971 byFontan and Baudet.

Since then, the Fontan procedure orprocedures have been used extensively

all over the world to the benefit of childrenand adults with cardiac malformationwhich had been thought to be inoperable.While therapeutic advances achieved inthe laboratory need long periods oftesting and scrutiny, the surgeon has theadvantage of seeing the results of hiswork almost immediately. The impossiblehas become possible, the difficult easier,all through the persistence, imagination,and courage of brilliant surgeons.

ReferencesFontan F, Baudet E. Surgical repair oftricuspid atresia. Thorax 1971; 26: 240-248.

Calvaruso DF. Bidirectional Glenn andantegrade pulumonary blood flow: Tem–porary or definitive palliation? Ann ThoracSurg 2008; 85: 1389-1396.

Marcelletti CF, Hanley FL, Mavroudis C,McElhinney DB, Abella RF, MarianeschiSM, Seddio F, Reddy VM, Petrossian E, dela Torre T, Colagrande L, Backer CL, CiprianiA, Iorio FS, Fontan F. Revision of previousFontan connections to total extracardiaccavopulmonary anastomosis: a multicenterexperience. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119: 340-346.

Khairy P, Fernandes SM, Mayer JE,Triedman JK, Walsh EP, Lock JE, LandzbergMJ. Long-term survival, modes of death, andpredictors of mortality in patients with Fontansurgery. Circulation 2008; 117: 85-92.

Jacobs ML, Mayer JE. Congenital heartsurgery nomenclature and database project:single ventricle. Ann Thorac Surg 2000; 69:S197-204.

Blount SG, Ferencz C, Friedlich A, MuddJG, Carroll DG, Bing RJ. Physiological studiesin congenital heart disease: The circulatorydynamics in patients with tricuspid atresia.Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 1951; 89: 235-244.

Sittiwangkul R, Azakie A, Van Arsdell GS,Williams WG, McCrindle BW. Outcomes oftricuspid atresia in the Fontan era. Ann ThoracSurg 2004; 77: 889-894.

Noonan JA, Nadas AS. The hypoplastic leftheart syndrome: An analysis of 101 cases.Pediatr Clin North Am 1958; 5: 1029-1056.

Glatz JA, Tabbutt S, Gaynor JW, Rome JJ,Montenegro L, Spray TL, Rychik J.Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with atriallevel restriction in the era of prenatal diagnosis.Ann Thorac Surg 2007; 84: 1633-1639.

Anderson RH. The paediatric cardiology hallof fame: Francis Fontan. Cardiol Young 1999;9: 592-600.

Bing RJ. Cardiology: The Evolution of theScience and the Art (2nd ed.). RutgersUniversity Pres: Piscataway, NJ. 1999.

Richard J. Bing, M.D. �

Richard J. Bing Awardfor Young Investigators

Named in honor of the author, theRichard J. Bing Award for YoungInvestigators is given at each WorldCongress of the International Socie–ty for Heart Research.

The purpose of this Award is to rec-ognize outstanding endeavors bynew investigators in research activi-ties, and to encourage continued bio-medical research careers broadly re-lated to cardiovascular biology.

Details of the competition areavailable on the ISHR website(www.ishrworld.org) under theISHR Awards tab.

Application materials must be re-ceived no later than January 9,2010.

6


As I announced in my last column, I wish to write about the life and work ofWilliam Harvey – arguably the most important cardiovascular investigator of alltimes. That the average person has never heard of William Harvey is understandable

(although appalling). That at least 10,000 more people know about Madonna and Britney Spears than about Harvey isscarcely surprising, given the deplorable state of our culture. What surprised me was the realization that even cardiovascularscientists, physicians, and physician-scientists either do not know Harvey or are only remotely familiar with his legacy,although his legacy is a gift of unimaginable value that he has given to each of us and that constitutes the basis for ourdaily work. Knowledge of history is as critical for physicians as it is for everybody else. As Cicero said, “to know nothingof what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child”. What a truism. So, I think it is very important tounderstand how the knowledge that we now take for granted – the circulation of the blood – came about. This is one ofthe few advances in medicine that can be single-handedly credited to one man, William Harvey.

Harvey not only made one of the most important discoveries in medicine, but also was one of the founders of modern science.Indeed, I believe that his greatest legacy is not the discovery of the circulation but the establishment of scientificexperimentation as the method for biological research. With, perhaps, the exception of Louis Pasteur, Harvey is the mosthonored contributor to medical knowledge in history. There are Harvey societies, Harvey meetings, Harvey prizes, and thereis the famous Harveian Lecture held by the Royal College of Physicians every year, which is the pinnacle of glory for aphysician. Monetarily, if you are lucky enough to own a copy of his book, “De Motu Cordis”, you have a treasure, because20 years ago a copy was worth $300,000 and now, no doubt, much more.

This is a portrait of Harvey at age 43. He was short, dark-haired, and very nervous. Hewas also full of energy – almost as if in perpetual motion. He awoke at night becauseof his energy, and had to walk until he got tired enough to go back to sleep. He had avery, very active mind.

William Harvey was born on April 1, 1578, in Folkestone (in Kent). He was the first ofseven children, and the son of a very wealthy businessman, Thomas Harvey, who mademoney by trading with the Orient. William never had to worry about such mundanethings as money because he was from a wealthy family; furthermore, his brothersheld him in such high regard that they took care of his finances. At the age of eight,William was sent to a grammar school in Canterbury (King’s College), where studentswere not allowed to speak any languages other than Latin and Greek. That was thebeginning of his classical education. In 1594 he entered Caius College, in Cambridge, where Kentians (people from Kent,like Harvey) were preferentially admitted at the time, and graduated four years later with a Bachelor’s degree. The graduatesof Caius college were encouraged by the founder of the school, Dr John Caius, to pursue medical studies abroad. In thelate 16th century, if you wanted to go abroad to have a good medical education, the place to go was Italy. It was like goingto America in the 21st century. In particular, you would go to northern Italy, which offered some very prestigious universitiessuch as Bologna, Padua, Pisa, and others. Among these, probably the most famous Medical School was the University ofPadua, where William matriculated in 1598 at the age of 20. Padua had a great reputation for a number of reasons. Apartfrom the fact that Copernicus had studied there and that, at the time when Harvey was a student, Galileo was teachingmathematics (although the two of them apparently did not cross paths), Padua had a stellar cadre of very distinguished

president 's letter

William Harvey and the Discovery

of the circulation of the blood

Part I

Dear Colleagues,

7


Faculty members. Harvey’s favorite teacher was the anatomist Hieronymus Fabricius, also known as Fabricius abAcquapendente (the successor of Gabriele Falloppio, after whom the Fallopian tubes were named). Fabricius became a verygood mentor for Harvey. He described – amongst many things – the presence of valves in the veins, but had no idea whattheir function was. This discovery became a key turning point in Harvey’s life, because it inspired him to investigate thefunction of these valves, and in doing so, to discover the circulation.

At that time, Padua was a very cosmopolitan University, much like the American Universities are today. Going to Paduain the 16th century would be like going to Harvard nowadays (and probably just as expensive!). Students flocked there fromall over Europe – from Germany, Belgium, France, England, Spain and so on. Each group of students was called a “Nation”,and each of them elected a Councilor to lead their Nation; the body of the Councilors, together with the Rectors, was thegoverning body of the University. Apparently, William had a charismatic personality, because he managed to be electedas the Councilor of the English Nation, a position of high distinction that gave him the privilege of having his own stemmatapainted in the Great Hall of the University. You can still see them there.

Harvey received his diploma of Doctor of Physic from the University of Padua on April 25, 1602 (two years after GiordanoBruno was burned alive in Rome by the Catholic Church, his tongue having been cut before the fire). He went back to Englandand, two years later, married Elizabeth, the daughter of Dr Lancelot Browne, the personal physician of Queen Elizabeth and,subsequently, of King James. By becoming Browne’s relative, Harvey was catapulted into the “good society” of Londonand had access to many VIPs, which facilitated his career. We know very little about his marriage, except that he had nochildren (which left him plenty of time to do his anatomical studies), that Elizabeth (whose brother, ironically, was namedGalen) had a pet parrot, and that she died before him. Three years after his marriage (1607), he became a Fellow of the RoyalCollege of Physicians, and two years later (1609) he was appointed as physician at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, where hedeveloped a good practice. At the same time, he continued to study anatomy and do research (thereby being the precursorof what nowadays we refer to as the clinician-scientist).

In 1615, Harvey was given the prestigious title of Lumleian Lecturer at the College of Physicians. This was a major postin the college; he was required to give two lectures a week in six-year cycles (which he did until 1650). His meteoric ascentcontinued unabated. Two years later (1618), he became the Physician Extraordinary to King James I. When the king died,there were rumors that Harvey had plotted to kill him, and that he was part of a Catholic plot. He was investigated butfortunately for him, Charles I (the successor of James I) held him in high esteem, protected him, and appointed him as hisown personal physician.

In 1628 Harvey published his immortal masterpiece, the De Motu Cordis. In 1651, he published his second book, DeGeneratione Animalium, which was not as groundbreaking as the first but, nevertheless, had some important intuitions.In 1654, he was offered the prestigious Presidency of the College of Physicians, but he refused for health reasons. He wassuffering from gout, and his life was becoming increasingly miserable. In 1656, while he was living in Oxford and a year beforehis death, he donated money to Merton College to establish an endowment for the Harveian Lecture, which has beendelivered yearly since 1658 – and has become, as I have mentioned, one of the highest recognitions for a physician.

On April 24, 1657, Harvey wrote to a colleague: “I am not only ripe in years, but also… a little weary. It seems to me indeedthat I am entitled to an honorable discharge.” Less than two months later, on June 3rd, 1657, his wish was granted; he diedof a stroke, at the age of 79.

(To be continued in the next issue)

Roberto Bolli, M.D.President, ISHR

8


The XXth World Congress of theISHR will be held less than oneyear from now, on May 13-16, 2010

in Kyoto, Japan. It is my great honor toorganize such an exciting meeting inJapan, and I look forward to hosting manydelegates from all over the world.

The main theme of this Congress is“Paradigm Shift to Integrated Cardiology– Gene, Function and Life.” Recentresearch in the area of genomic sciencehas elucidated many pathways involvedin molecular signaling in cells anddescribed dynamic changes in geneexpression. Many functional and mor–phological responses of the cell toextracellular stressors, which determinethe viability of the organelles, cells andindividual, have also been clarified.Various diseases can now be defined asthe result of abnormal responses of thegene, cellular function and individualbehavior which restrict the life span ofaffected individuals and limit their abilityto adapt to environmental changes. TheCongress will cover a variety of importanttopics in cardiovascular research relevantto understanding the cardiovascularsystem in health and disease.

The Scientific Program will include:� Approximately 45- 50 Symposia,

including around 20 symposiasponsored by ISHR International,10 sponsored by ISHR Sections(Australasian, European, Japanese,Latin American, North American) and15 symposia sponsored by industries.

� A Nobel Laureate Lecture by OliverSmithies, Univ. of North Carolina atChapel Hill, on embryonic stem celland gene targeting technology.

� A Special Lecture by ShinyaYamanaka, Kyoto Univ., on inducedpluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

� ISHR Award Lectures, including:1. Distinguished Lecture Awards:

- Keith Reimer DistinguishedLecture;

- Janice Pfeffer DistinguishedLecture;

- President’s DistinguishedLecture.

2.Outstanding Investigator Award3.Research Achievement Award4.Peter Harris Distinguished Scientist

Award� Distinguished Leader Award� Free communications and moderated

poster sessions� The Richard J. Bing Young

Investigator Award Competition� Morning Tutorial Lectures� Luncheon Seminars� Evening Satellite Meetings

These programs will be held during thefour-day Congress mainly in parallelsessions except for the Special and AwardLectures. The ISHR International sym–posia, planned by the ISHR InternationalScientific Program Committee, cover abroad range of topics including thegenome, intracellular organellas, ionchannels, membrane receptors, signaltransduction, angiogenesis, cellularinjury and protection, stem cells andregeneration, and will be complementedby the symposia planned either by SectionProgram Committees or by the CongressScientific Program Committee, to providean integrated and comprehensive scien–tific program. A unique feature of thecoming World Congress is the incorpo–

ration of Section Meetings within theCongress.

Enjoy the Social ProgramThe social program will include thefollowing events:� An opening get-together (May 13)� The FISHR dinner (May 14)� A half-day excursion to “Aoi Festival”

(May 15)� A Japanese buffet-style banquet in

the Conference Garden ( May 15)� Optional sight-seeing tours:

- Kyoto one-day tour (May 13, 16)- Uji half-day tour (May 14)- Other optional tours (May 12-16)

ONLINE Registration will start onSeptember 1st, 2009Advanced registration is welcome untilMarch 31, 2010.

Category until on site March 31, 2010 (JPYen) (JPYen)

ISHR members 50,000 60,000

Non-ISHRmembers 60,000 70,000

Students 5,000 5,000

Para-medicalstaff 10,000 10,000

Accompanyingpersons 10,000 10,000

Hotel reservations can be made ONLINEwhen you register for the meeting. JTB

xx world congress of the ishr

may 13-16, 2010; kyoto, japan

9


Western Japan Corporation is handlingthe accommodations for the Congressparticipants. You can select from a varietyof hotels at a special Congress rate(see the website at www.ishr2010.com/travelas/index.html).

Abstract SubmissionDeadline is November 30, 2009. Pleasevisit our website at www.ishr2010.com/absub/index.html.

Travel Grants are availableTravel grants will be provided to younginvestigators from abroad. Each Sectionwill select the travel grant recipients fromthat Section, based on the submittedabstracts and subject to the relevant ISHRcriteria.

Since the ISHR Sections will hold their2010 meetings in conjunction with theISHR World Congress, we are expectingaround 2,000 participants from all over the

world. You are cordiallyinvited to share in theexcitement and successof the World Congress2010 in Kyoto.

Masatsugu Hori, M.D., Ph.D.President, the ISHR XX WorldCongress;

President, Osaka MedicalCenter for Cancer and Car–diovascular Diseases;

Professor Emeritus of OsakaUniversity �

FELLOWSHIP OF THE ISHR

The International Society for Heart Research invites you to nominate candidates for membership in the Fellowship of the ISHR.

History of the FellowshipThe ISHR established the Fellowship of the ISHR as a means of recognizing those members who have distinguished themselves foroutstanding contributions to cardiovascular research. Fellows are selected solely on the basis of scientific excellence, as evidencedby an established track record of publications in high-impact journals. The Society looks to its Fellows for leadership and guidancein its various activities; including the organization of topical meetings and selection of recipients for Society awards.

Fellowship Benefits� Fellows will be entitled to add “FISHR” to their degrees and distinctions.� Fellows will receive a complimentary subscription (hard copy) to JMCC.� Fellows will be given free registration at World Congresses.� The names of new Fellows will be published in JMCC and Heart News and Views.� Fellows will receive a Fellowship certificate.

Nomination ProcedureThe name and institute of each nominee and a brief (one page) letter of nomination outlining his/her major contributions tocardiovascular science should be sent by email ([email protected]) to Dr Leslie Anderson Lobaugh, Executive Secretary – ISHR.

Details of the nomination and application procedures can be found at www.ishrworld.org. Click on 2010 Fellows of the ISHR in thelefthand column.The deadline for receipt of nominations is 30th September 2009. Nominations received after that date cannot be considered.

View of the Conference Garden atthe Kyoto International ConferenceCenter (ICC Kyoto)

10


NEW PARADIGM FROM A HISTORIC

PORT –

REPORT ON THE xxv MEETING OF THE

JAPANESE SECTION

(DECEMBER 5-6, 2008; YOKOHAMA, JAPAN)

The 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Section of the ISHR washeld at the Yokohama City Port Opening Memorial Hall, Yokohama, Japan.

Yokohama is known traditionally to be an international city, one of only a few portsof entry into modern Japan which was established 150 years ago. Prof. TohruIzumi from Kitasato University, the president of this meeting, chose as the themeof the meeting “Reverse Remodeling in Cardiovascular Medicine”, with emphasison the pathomechanisms and therapeutic interventions involved in remodeling.The concept of anti-remodeling or reverse remodeling is an engaging topic withclinical implications not only for heart failure but also for arrhythmia and vasculardiseases.

With more than 400 participants, theconference was well attended and thelevel of science was outstanding;seamlessly combining basic cardio–vascular science and clinical cardiology.The meeting included three symposiadiscussing cardiovascular remodeling asthe main theme. The first symposium:‘Cardiac Failure and Remodeling’ waspreceded by the keynote lecture fromProf. Hideo Baba from Essen Universityconcerning morphological and molecularalteration of the myocardium after LVASimplantation. In the second symposium,electrical remodeling, with regard toarrhythmia and conduction disturbances,was debated by 6 electrophysiologistsafter Prof. David Rosenbaum initiallyreviewed the pathomechanisms. Vascularremodeling was discussed at the lastsymposium from several viewpoints,

including discussions of regenerationmedicine and inflammatory processespresented by Dr Ricard Rocha fromNovartis Pharma Co. and Prof. GreggSemenza from John Hopkins University,respectively. Another forum focused oninflammatory pathomechanisms of notonly myocardial diseases, as reviewed byProf. Reinhard Kandolf from TuebingenUniversity, but also atherosclerosis andobesity.

The Young Investigator Awards session,always a point of interest, was especiallyemphasized this year. Fifteen candidatespresented their distinguished work inthree separate sessions. The standardswere very high and the decision by thejudges in choosing the winners was noteasy. The winners were: Dr Kinya Seofrom Tokyo University as the gold medalwinner (‘Contribution of structuralheterogeneity to stretch-induced ar–rhythmias examined in ventricular tissuesand isolated myocytes’), Dr YosukeKayama from Chiba University as thesilver medal winner (‘Arachidonic 12-lipoxygenase promotes the developmentof cardiac fibrosis and heart failure via

induction of monocyte chemoattractantprotein-1’), and Dr Fumiyuki Hattori fromKeio University as the bronze medalwinner (‘Novel methods for purifying andtransplanting ES cell-derived cardio–myocytes with high cell survival rates andwithout inducing teratoma formation’).

While there were numerous presen–tations which were of great interest,including 75 poster presentations, onenotable highlight was the President’sDistinguished Lecture by Prof. GerdHasenfuss from Georg-August Universityof Goettingen entitled, ‘Adult pluripotentcells for cardiac regeneration’. His speechdescribed a novel approach to re–generation therapy for the failing infarctedheart using multipotent/pluripotent adultgermline stem cells with characteristics ofembryonic stem cells from the adultmouse/human testis. Another fascinatinglecture by an invited speaker was providedby Prof. Metin Avkiran from King’sCollege London, the Secretary General ofthe ISHR International Council. DrAvkiran delivered an outstanding reportconcerning protein kinase D as a novelregulator of cardiac function and re–modeling.

The evening social event was held at amodern Italian restaurant near the meetinghall, accompanied by a mini-concert by acharming Japanese ladies quartet. All ofthe guests enjoyed appetizers, cocktailsand conversation in this friendly atmos–phere.

Yokohama is a historic city most Japaneseare proud of, and its pioneer spirit hascontinuously encouraged us. The meetinghall, located in the center of Yokohama, isalso a symbol as a venue of internationalcommunication. The historical relevanceof this meeting encouraged us to enhanceour scientific activities in the cardio–vascular field in the beginning of the 21st

century in order to construct a newparadigm for the future.

Dr Takayuki Inomata

Sagamihara, Japan �

Prof. Izumi, the President of themeeting, enjoys a conversationwith Prof. Reinhard Kandolf atthe opening reception

11


It is with great sadness that we reportthat Howard E. Morgan M.D. died onMarch 2, 2009 in Estero, Florida. As a

former President of the InternationalSociety for Heart Research (1983-1986),Dr Morgan played a pivotal role in thedevelopment of the ISHR in its earlyformative years, leaving a legacy ofexcellence and scholarship that has greatlybenefited the entire membership. Hisextraordinary scientific achievementshave made him one of the giants in basiccardiovascular research of the 20th

century, particularly in the area of cardiacmetabolism, signaling, and hypertrophy.He also is well known for developing theisolated perfused working heart prepa–ration that is used in metabolic studiesworldwide.

Howard Morgan was born in Bloomington,Illinois on October 8, 1927 and attendedschool in Illinois during World War II. Hiseducation was accelerated by the war,and he graduated from Johns HopkinsMedical School with an M.D. in 1949 atthe age of 21. Today, most 21 year oldAmerican students are juniors or seniorsin college.

From Hopkins, he went to Vanderbilt wherehe specialized in Obstetrics and Gyne–cology. He became an instructor in thisdepartment in 1953, however, researchwork attracted him and, in 1954, he beganstudies of cardiac metabolism in theHughes Institute and Physiology Depart–ment of Vanderbilt University MedicalSchool under the tutelage of Prof. CharlesR. Park. By 1966, he was a Professor ofPhysiology and, in 1967, he became thefounding Chairman of the Department ofPhysiology of a new Medical School inHershey PA., where he spent the nexttwenty years developing one of the bestPhysiology departments in the country.

In 1987, he became the first Director of theWeis Center for Research at the GeisingerClinic in Lewisburg PA. He recruitedexcellent scientists into this ResearchCenter and it became a very successfulenterprise. At Weis, he was able to pursue

his chief interest fulltime, which wasapplying molecular biological techniquesto the study of heart disease. During thecourse of these experiments, he learnedmuch about protein synthesis anddegradation and the factors which controlthese processes in the heart.

Dr Morgan’s ability to emerge as a leaderhas been remarkable. He has heldleadership positions in all major cardio–vascular science organizations, includingthe American Physiological Society(where he was President in 1985-1986),the American Heart Association (wherehe served as President in 1987-1988), andthe National Heart, Lung and BloodInstitute, (where he served on theAdvisory Council in 1979-1983). Heserved as Editor/Associate Editor of majorjournals such as the American Journal ofPhysiology, Physiological Reviews, andthe Journal of Molecular and CellularCardiology.

During the course of his career, he receivednumerous awards and honors includingelection to the Institute of Medicine of theNational Academy of Sciences in 1987.

He received the Peter Harris Award foroutstanding cardiovascular research fromthe ISHR, the Award of Merit, theDistinguished Achievement Award, andthe Gold Heart Award of the AmericanHeart Association, the Carl J. Wiggersand Ray G. Daggs Award of the AmericanPhysiological Society and the Medal ofMerit for Outstanding Achievements inCardiovascular Education and Researchof the International Academy of Cardio–vascular Sciences.

Our Society is honored to have such anexceptional scientist as one of its formerpresidents. Dr Morgan distinguishedhimself, not only as one of the preeminentcardiovascular investigators of the 20th

century, but also as admirable and rarehuman being - an honest man whoconsistently adhered to principles offairness in his dealings with people. Hisopinion was widely sought and freelygiven. The ISHR and the entire cardio–vascular community has lost an icon.

Roberto Bolli, M.D.Robert B. Jennings M.D. �

howard E. morgan

1927-2009

in memoriam

Past-Presidents of the ISHR

Richard J. Bing 1967-1973

Albert Wollenberger 1973-1976

Lionel H. Opie 1976-1978

Robert B. Jennings 1978-1980

Peter Harris 1980-1983

Howard E. Morgan 1983-1986

Winifred G. Nayler 1986-1989

Yoshio Ito 1989-1992

Naranjan S. Dhalla 1992-1995

Jutta Schaper 1995-1998

David J. Hearse 1998-2001

James M. Downey 2001-2004

Roberto Ferrari 2004-2007

12


Just as the last edition of Heart Newsand Views was going to press, thedistressing news came of the death of

Philip Poole-Wilson. There was little timefor anything other than a simple an–nouncement at that point, but we nowhave the opportunity to try to expressmore fully what Philip meant to thecardiovascular community and to the ISHRin particular. The respect and affection inwhich he was held has become evidentsince his death, in the tributes to him in themajor newspapers and internationaljournals, the dedicated session at theNice ESC-HFA/ISHR meeting, the packedMemorial Service in London and the 500or more letters received by his wife, Mary.

The honourable record of his lifestands as its own monument to the doctorand scientist. At home, he was SimonMarks Professor of Cardiology, Head ofthe NHLI and finally on the Council ofImperial College. In the wider world, hebecame President of first the EuropeanSociety of Cardiology and then the WorldHeart Federation. He won the Prix Europeet Médecine in 2001, awarded by theInstitut des Sciences de la Santé in Paris,as well as the British CardiovascularSociety’s Mackenzie Medal, its mostprestigious award. He published over 500papers and trained at least 29 of the currentworld leaders in cardiology. With a sadirony, one of the fullest accounts of hisaccomplishments is to be found in anarticle published on March 4th, just a fewdays before his death. “Pioneer inCardiology: Philip Poole-Wilson” tookup 6 pages of the respected journalCirculation, which in itself must be aunique accolade.

Philip was heavily involved with theISHR from the beginning, having followedits development during his time with PeterHarris. He was a council member from1986-1994, treasurer from 1989-94 andbecame one of the Founding Fellows ofthe ISHR when those awards wereinstigated. He was very much in tune withthe ideals of the ISHR, being a greatsupporter and advocate of basic sciencein public and within his own Institute.

Although the honours and achieve–ments alone would justify the enormousreaction to his death, it is striking that themajority of the tributes are directed towardsPhilip the friend, helper and mentor.

Having known and worked with him for 28years, I can see clearly why he was heldin such great affection by so many. Iwould like to add a few personal memorieswhich may strike a chord with others, andwhich illustrate his enthusiastic andendearing personality. I met Philip in 1980when I came to the Cardiothoracic Institutein its first home in Wimpole Street. CardiacMedicine was then still separate from theThoracic Medicine section near the RoyalBrompton Hospital, Winifred Nayler wasjust leaving, and Peter Harris was in charge.Philip had not long returned from aFellowship with Glenn Langer at UCLA,and was still in the laboratory at the top ofWimpole St mixing the Ca45 solutions withhis hand over the open neck of thevolumetric flask. His dissection techniquefor the septal preparation was notoriouslyrapid, involving removing much of thecontents of the thoracic cavity as fast aspossible, then running up 3 floors fromthe animal house to the laboratory. Hewas gathering the detailed informationabout Ca2+ and Na+ fluxes in ischaemiaand during the Ca2+ paradox, summarisedparticularly in his 1984 review “Calciumout of Control”. I was working with PeterHarris at that time on G-protein bio–chemistry. When I became interested inisolating adult myocytes, Philip wasextremely helpful. He introduced me tothe surgeons who were to help me withtissue from cardiac operations, supported

my first efforts to design a new method formeasuring myocyte contractility andassisted me in my applications for funds.He became Head of Department as PeterHarris retired in 1988, and took over thereins as we moved to Dovehouse St, SouthKensington to join the Thoracic Depart–ment and become the NHLI. During thenext several years he retained a keeninterest in the isolated myocyte work, andI remember particularly that he wasinstrumental in initiating the developmentof both the frequency responses and thenitric oxide sections of the work.

Philip was at the reins when we weretaken over by Imperial College in 1995 andbecame a Division of their Medical School.Around this time there were very difficultfinancial circumstances both UK-wideand locally, as it was the time when MrsThatcher was squeezing higher educationhard. Philip was the Head of Division forNHLI in Imperial College from 1997-2000,and had to deal with the loss of 12 out of44 academic positions and the removal oflarge amounts of funding. Despite havingattained high office in Imperial College,the ESC and the World Heart Federation,I don’t think Philip was at heart a politicalanimal. He was too kind, too straight–forward and too gentle. He was alwayskeen to bring transparency to the financesand other dealings, even if it brought himmore trouble. I cannot remember anyoccasions where he even raised his voiceto anyone, however provoked, or usedany kind of insult. He never spoke badlyof anyone in their absence or promotedany kind of division among the staff: allhis geese were swans! There are politicalmanoeuvrings that scientist and doctorssometimes use to gain advancement, andwhich may not be especially commend–able, but I cannot imagine Philip evenconsidering them. Probably because ofthis he was free to advance any theory oropinion, even a controversial one, withoutcausing offence and was thereforegenuinely a free-thinker. On a personallevel, he was the kindest and mostgenerous colleague imaginable. I will misshim greatly, and it is clear from the manymessages from all over the world that I amnot alone in this.

Sian Harding, Ph.D.London, UK �

in memoriam

Philip A. Poole-Wilson

1943 - 2009

13


characterization of human

cardiac progenitor cells isolated

from fetal and adult hearts

In June 2007, in the beautiful frame of the city of Padova, I was awarded theISHR-ES/Servier fellowship. Each year, this prestigious fellowship provides a

great opportunity for a young scientist to perform a year of basic research in thecardiovascular field. I joined the Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology at theUniversity Medical Centre of Utrecht in The Netherlands as a postdoctoralresearcher working under the supervision of Prof. Pieter Doevendans and DrMarie-José Goumans in the spring of 2007. My research project focused on thecharacterization of human cardiac progenitor cells isolated from fetal and adulthearts and on the implementation of differentiation protocols towards thecardiomyocyte and vascular lineage. It is a great honor to be invited to summarizemy project here.

Regenerative Medicine ApproachesCell-based cardiac repair has the ambitiousaim to replace the injured cardiac muscledeveloped after myocardial infarction withnew contractile cardiomyocytes andvessels [1, 2] (Figure 1). Different stemcell populations have been intensivelystudied in the last decade as a potentialsource of new cardiomyocytes toameliorate the damaged myocardium,compensate for the loss of ventricularmass and contractility and eventuallyrestore cardiac function. An array of celltypes has been explored in this respect,including skeletal muscle, bone marrowderived stem cells, embryonic stem cells,and more recently cardiac progenitor cells.

Cardiac Progenitor Cells from the AdultHeartOur laboratory has successfully isolatedand characterized a cardiac-residentpopulation of cells that possesses thepotential for being a suitable source forcell replacement therapy as well as anamenable cell system for drug screeningsand toxicity tests [3, 4]. Human cardiacprogenitor cells (hCPCs) can be readilyisolated from enzymatically digested fetaland adult heart biopsies, either by singlecell cloning or by purification with an antimSca-1 antibody. These cells can bemaintained and expanded in an undiffer–entiated state for several passages. Theyshow expression of stem cell markers such

as Isl-1 and cKit, and already expressearly cardiac transcription factors, namely:GATA4, NKX2.5 and MEF2C. None ofthe mature cardiomyocyte markers isexpressed in the undifferentiated state(Figure 2 a, b). hCPCs can be differentiatedto mature cardiomyocytes by treatmentwith 5-azacytidine and TGFβ. hCPC-derived cardiomyocytes show expressionof sarcomeric proteins, gap-junctionalcommunication, action potentials ofmaturing cardiomyocytes and sponta–neous beating activity in culture (Figure2 c, d).

Conversely, culturing these cells in pro-angiogenic conditions, in the presence ofVEGF in a suitable extracellular matrix(Matrigel), induces upregulation ofangiogenic markers and organization ofthe cells in tubular structures, analogousto what endothelial cells can generate insuch an in vitro system (Figure 3). Moreinterestingly, when injected in the borderzone of the infarcted region in a mousemodel of MI as undifferentiated cells,they can improve cardiac function, andcan be found as differentiated cardio–myocytes as well as CD31 positive cellsorganized in vessel like structures [5].

Histone Deacetylases Inhibitors toImprove DifferentiationDifferentiation of hCPC towards thecardiac lineage requires the addition of aDNA demethylating agent (5 azacytidine),which causes profound epigeneticmodification by erasing methylation

Figure 1Schematic representation of the possible use of hCPC for cell autologous

transplantation and regenerative medicine.

Marta Roccio

14


marks, normally devoted to specific genesilencing in differentiated cells. Alter–native epigenetic mechanisms controllinggene expression, besides DNA methyl–ation, include histone acetylation andmethylation. Histone acetylation, medi–ated by histone acetyl transferases(HATs), is generally associated with localchromatin expansion and increasedaccessibility to the DNA for the tran–scriptional machinery. Histone deactyl–ases (HDACs), on the other hand, performthe opposite job, leading to chromatincondensation. Methylation of histonetails, instead, exerts different regulatoryfunctions depending of the residue andon its mono, bi or tri-methylated state.Many studies have focused on the role ofHDACs in cardiac hyperthrophy [6];however, an interesting role of theseenzymes as inhibitors of differentiationhas also been reported. HDACs inhibitionby Trichostatin A (TSA) in embryoniccarcinoma cells (P19-EC) was shown toinduce differentiation of these cellstowards the cardiac lineage by inducingthe expression of GATA4, NKX2.5,MEF2c, BMP4 and cardiac actin. Incontrast, inhibition of differentiation wasobserved upon overexpression of HDAC4[7-9]. HDAC4 has been shown tonegatively regulate skeletal myogenesisby associating with the myocyte enhancerfactor 2 (MEF2c).

HDACs inhibitors are currently used inthe clinic as anti-cancer drugs [10]. Apossible alternative application of thesecompounds as tools to trigger CPCdifferentiation in vivo was obviously avery intriguing option to explore. Iaddressed the possibility that HDACinhibition could induce differentiation ofcardiac progenitor cells and assess therole of acetylation during induction of thecardiogenic lineage. Different HDACinhibitors have been tested for this

purpose on cultured cells; however, noneof these was able to induce myogenicdifferentiation. In contrast, they modifiedthe phenotype of the cells increasing theirmigratory behavior and inducing activeremodeling of the extracellular matrix(manuscript in preparation).

In addition, an RNAi approach wasundertaken to gain a better understandingof the role of epigenetic modifications asregulators of gene expression anddifferentiation. Different histone methyl–ases and demethylases were knocked

down in hCPCs using retroviral trans–duction. Candidate enzymes were selectedbased on their described function inmouse ES. This study, still ongoing, maylead to the identification of new keyregulators of cell differentiation.

Future directionsHuman cardiac progenitor cells harbor agreat application potential in the contestof autologous cell replacement therapy.Encouraging animal studies show thatthey may have a positive role in restoringcardiac function after MI. Improvement

Figure 2a) Semi quantitative RT-PCR on RNA isolated from undifferentiated CMPCs probed for

the expression of the indicated genes. b) Bright field images of adult CMPCs.c) Semi-quantitative RT-PCR on RNA isolated from differentiated CMPCs.

d) Immunolabeling against the connexin isoforms Cx40 (green) and α-actinin (red).Arrows indicate cell membrane localization of connexin.

Marta Roccio (Lausanne, Switzerland)was the winner of the ISHR-ES/SERVIER Research Fellowship 2007 atthe XXVII European Section Meeting(Padova, Italy; June 2007).

15

ISHR MEETINGS CALENDAR

� August 13-16, 2009. XXXIII Annual Meeting of the Australasian Section (jointly with the Cardiac Society of Australia and

New Zealand). Sydney Convention and Exhibition Center, Sydney, Australia. Website http://www.tourhosts.com.au/csanz2009/

� August 29 - September 2, 2009. Congress of the European Society of Cardiology. Barcelona, Spain.

Website www.escardio.org

� November 14-18, 2009. Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. Orlando, Florida.

Website www.scientificsessions.org

� December 4-5, 2009. XXVI Annual Meeting of the Japanese Section. Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. E-mail

[email protected]

� May 13-16, 2010. XX World Congress of the ISHR. Kyoto, Kyoto International Conference Center, Japan.

Website www.ishr2010.com


of the culture conditions and differ–entiation protocol as well as implemen–tation of the delivery methods are nowessential steps to face in order to bringthe use of these cells to a clinicalapplication.

AcknowledgementsThis project was supported by an ISHR-ES/Servier fellowship and an ESC researchgrant. Special thanks to all the members ofthe Experimental Cardiology team.

References1. Laflamme MA, Murry CE. Regeneratingthe heart. Nat Biotechnol 2005; 23: 845-856.

2. Roccio M. et al.. Stem cell sources forcardiac regeneration. Panminerva Med 2008;50: 19-30.

3. Goumans MJ et al. TGF-β1 induces efficientdifferentiation of human cardiomyocyteprogenitor cells into functional cardio–myocytes in vitro. Stem Cell Res 2008; 1: 138-149.

4. van Vliet P et al. Progenitor cells isolatedfrom the human heart: a potential cell sourcefor regenerative therapy. Neth Heart J 2008;16: 163-169.

5. Smits AM et al. Human cardiomyocyteprogenitor cell transplantation preserves long-term function of the infarcted mousemyocardium. Cardiovasc Res 2009.

6. Antos CL et al. Dose-dependent blockadeto cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by hedeacetylase inhibitors. J Biol Chem 2003;278: 28930-28937.

Figure 3HUVECs (upper panel) and hCPC (lower panel) plated on matrigel in presence ofVEGF organize in tube-like structure and express SMA (green) and PECAM (red).

7. Hosseinkhani M et al. Trichostatin Ainduces myocardial differentiation of monkeyES cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2007;356: 386-391.

8. Karamboulas C et al. HDAC activityregulates entry of mesoderm cells into thecardiac muscle lineage. J Cell Sci 2006; 119:4305-4314.

9. Kawamura T et al. Acetylation of GATA-4 is involved in the differentiation ofembryonic stem cells into cardiac myocytes.J Biol Chem 2005; 280: 19682-19688.

10. Minucci S, Pelicci PG. Histone deacetylaseinhibitors and the promise of epigenetic (andmore) treatments for cancer. Nat Rev Cancer2006; 6: 38-51.

Marta Roccio, PhDLausanne, Switzerland

[email protected] �

Previous winners of the ISHR-ES/SERVIER Fellowship:

2006: Derek J. Hausenloy(HN&V 15:3)

2005: Friederike Cuello(HN&V 15:1)

2004: Kerstin Boengler(HN&V 14:2)

2002: Andreas Schaefer(HN&V 13:1)

2001: Hilchen T. Sommerschild(HN&V 11:1)

16

HEART NEWS AND VIEWS

is the official News Bulletin of theInternational Society for HeartResearch and is published everyfourth month.

EditorL. Anderson LobaughDurham, NC, USAE-mail [email protected]

Founding EditorT.J.C. RuigrokWijk bij Duurstede, The NetherlandsE-mail [email protected]

Editorial BoardR.A. AltschuldColumbus, OH, USAM. AvkiranLondon, UKSecretary GeneralB. McDermottBelfast, UKEuropean SectionR. BolliLouisville, KY, USAPresidentT. IzumiKanagawa, JapanJapanese SectionH. KiriazisMelbourne, AustraliaAustralasian SectionX.Y. LiBeijing, ChinaChinese SectionA. MattiazziLa Plata, ArgentinaLatin American SectionE. MurphyBethesda, MD, USANorth American SectionT. RavingerovaBratislava, Slovak RepublicA.-M.L. SeymourHull, UKN. TakedaTokyo, JapanK.K. TalwarChandigarh, IndiaIndian SectionD. EisnerManchester, UKEditor-in-Chief, JMCCB.J. WardLondon, UKK.T. WeberMemphis, TN, USA

Editorial Office3711 Lochn'ora ParkwayDurham, NC 27705USA.Phone/Fax: +1 919 493 4418


HEART NEWS AND VIEWSis published thanks to

an unrestricted grant from Servier

a private French pharmaceutical company committed to therapeutic advances in cardiovascular medicine as

well as other key therapeutic areas. We have successfullydeveloped products in the field of cardiovascular diseases(ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and heart failure),

as well as in other major therapeutic fields. A number of landmark studies like PROGRESS, EUROPA,

PREAMI, ADVANCE, HYVET, and BEAUTIFUL are, or have been, conducted with our support.

The dynamism of our research is ensured by consistentallocation of as much as over 25% of the annual turnover

of the Group to search for new molecules and develop their therapeutic applications.

Servier is also the founding father of The European

Cardiologist Journal by

Fax and Dialogues in

Cardiovascular Medicine,

a quarterly publication with a worldwide circulation edited by Roberto FERRARI

and David J. HEARSE.

Dialogues discusses in acomprehensive way issuesfrom the cutting edge of basic research and clinical cardiology.

Visit the Web version at www.dialogues-cvm.org

The forthcoming issue, devoted to CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION

will feature articles by:

D.A. Wood and K. Kotseva; G.G. De Backer; G. Kamensky and J. Murin; D. Greco and G. Laurendi

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention

Volume 14 • Number 2

2009

For further information on Dialogues in Cardiovascular Medicine please contact:

Dr Irina Elyubaeva - Servier International35 rue de Verdun - 92284 Suresnes Cedex - France

or [email protected]

volume 17, number 1

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