Holehearted: Genetic approaches to congenital cardiac valve malformations

Heart septation and valve malformations constitute the most common anatomical birth defects. Perturbation of signals driving proliferation and differentiation of endocardial cells is a primary cause of defects in septation and valve formation. Modeling cardiac diseases in animal systems has significantly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms operating during valve formation. A better understanding of these pathways would enable more accurate diagnosis of valve defects potentially reveal targets for therapeutic intervention.