What are our goals?


removing a gene from a DNA strand

We want to find the gene or genes responsible for bicuspid aortic valve disease. We hope this will allow:

  • Identification of the biological pathways responsible for aortic valve development.
  • Identify genetic risks for aneurysm or dissection of the aorta.
  • Identification of the biological pathways responsible for aneurysm or dissection of the aorta.
  • Perhaps design therapies to prevent aortic aneurysm or dissection.

We think it is important to emphasize that the research we are doing will not:

  • Tell you whether or not you have a bicuspid aortic valve. That is done using an echocardiogram.
  • Tell your children or family whether or not they have a bicuspid aortic valve.
  • Be able to tell whether your future children will have a bicuspid aortic valve.
  • Be able to tell whether or not you will get an aneurysm or a dissection.

To summarize, this research is a first step in the understanding of why bicuspid aortic valves occur. It is not designed to provide you or your family any information or genetic results that will personally benefit you. We hope that this research may eventually benefit mankind as a whole; but we do not anticipate that participants will directly derive information that will benefit their personal health.

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