The application of molecular biology has provided major advancements in several areas of modern medicine, and cardiology is not an exception. Ten years ago a term like “Molecular Cardiology” would have been meaningless; today it immediately suggests to clinicians very specific and well-defined diseases that are encountered in daily practice. The field of cardiac arrhythmias has been particularly influenced by the developments of molecular medicine, and the innovation in this area has progressed so rapidly that now, 15 years after the discovery of the first genes predisposing to sudden cardiac death, electrophysiologists already use results of genetic analysis to guide the treatment of their patients. Researchers in the field of molecular medicine are now setting quite ambitious goals, and several laboratories have committed aims at finding cures for inherited diseases. Terms like “gene therapy” and “cell therapy” are encountered more and more often when browsing the medical literature, and while it is unlikely that these therapies will become available in the next few years, it is very plausible that we will see the introduction of these treatments during our lifetime.
From genes to cell therapy: molecular medicine meets clinical EP
PRIORI, SILVIA GIULIANA
2005-01-01
Abstract
The application of molecular biology has provided major advancements in several areas of modern medicine, and cardiology is not an exception. Ten years ago a term like “Molecular Cardiology” would have been meaningless; today it immediately suggests to clinicians very specific and well-defined diseases that are encountered in daily practice. The field of cardiac arrhythmias has been particularly influenced by the developments of molecular medicine, and the innovation in this area has progressed so rapidly that now, 15 years after the discovery of the first genes predisposing to sudden cardiac death, electrophysiologists already use results of genetic analysis to guide the treatment of their patients. Researchers in the field of molecular medicine are now setting quite ambitious goals, and several laboratories have committed aims at finding cures for inherited diseases. Terms like “gene therapy” and “cell therapy” are encountered more and more often when browsing the medical literature, and while it is unlikely that these therapies will become available in the next few years, it is very plausible that we will see the introduction of these treatments during our lifetime.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
