Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is a genetic based disease that occurs in approximately one in every five thousand individuals. Individuals with MFS are at risk for life-threatening cardiovascular problems, the most severe being when the large blood vessel that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body (the aorta) tears, which often leads to sudden death. Before the aorta tears, the aorta becomes weakened and enlarged. Although surgical treatment and drugs are available for MFS, the vast majority of patients with higher-risk forms of MFS have changes in their aortas and die at a relatively young age. This speaks to the need for new and improved methods of treatment for MFS patients. As such, this project aims to expand our knowledge about MFS and provide new information upon which to design new drugs. To do this, focus will be placed on completely blocking a particular cause of MFS using animal models and looking at the impact on MFS. This will allow for greater understanding of the pathogenesis of MFS and identification of targets for new drugs that will help improve the length and quality of individuals with MFS.