Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a clinical and genetic update

Silk-Based Biomaterials for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death globally. Among various cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction is an important one. Compared with conventional treatments, cardiac tissue engineering provides an alternative to repair and regenerate the injured tissue. Among various types of materials used for tissue engineering applications, silk biomaterials have been increasingly utilized due to their biocompatibility, biological functions, and many favorable physical/chemical properties. Silk biomaterials are often used alone or in combination with other materials in the forms of patches or hydrogels, and serve as promising delivery systems for bioactive compounds in tissue engineering repair scenarios. This review focuses primarily on the promising characteristics of silk biomaterials and their recent advances in cardiac tissue engineering.

Asn391Thr Mutation of β-Myosin Heavy Chain in a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Family

The present study was performed to identify the genetic abnormalities in a family with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.Peripheral blood samples were collected from 22 members of a Chinese family with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 307 healthy controls. A total of 26 candidate pathogenic genes were analyzed in the proband using targeted capture sequencing. Identified mutations were analyzed using Sanger sequencing in all family members and healthy controls.A missense mutation (c.1172A>C, p. Asn391Thr) in exon 12 of MYH7 was identified in eight family members, among which six of them were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy carriers. Three carriers presented with cardiac dysfunction. Four members of this pedigree died suddenly, three of whom were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.From the results of this study, we concluded that the Asn391Thr mutation of MYH7 is a malignant mutation for HCM and that mutation carriers should get effective treatment to prevent sudden death.

Nursing genetics and genomics: The International Society of Nurses in Genetics (ISONG) survey

BACKGROUND

The International Society of Nursing in Genetics (ISONG) fosters scientific and professional development in the discovery, interpretation, and application of genomic information in nursing research, education, and clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES

Assess genomic-related activities of ISONG members in research, education and practice, and competencies to serve as global leaders in genomics.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey (21-items) assessing genomic-related training, knowledge, and practice.

SETTINGS

An email invitation included a link to the anonymous online survey.

PARTICIPANTS

All ISONG members (n = 350 globally) were invited to partake.

METHODS

Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test for between-group comparisons.

RESULTS

Respondents (n = 231, 66%), were mostly Caucasian, female, with a master's degree or higher. Approximately 70% wanted to incorporate genomics in research, teaching, and practice. More than half reported high genomic competency, and over 95% reported that genomics is relevant the next 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings provide a foundation for developing additional educational programs for an international nursing workforce in genomics.