Biomarker Research

The Biomarker Research Group aims to identify and validate of cardiac biomarkers, which is the central area of clinical and basic research in this Project in order to improve diagnosis, decision on therapeutic strategies and prognosis of cardiovascular disease. Only a few Biomarkers (e.g. Troponin, CKMB) have made into daily clinical practice and are routinely measured in patients in a limited number of clinical settings (exclusion of myocardial infarction). Thus, there is an essential need for a broader range of biomarkers not only in the context of myocardial infarction but also for other cardiac and vascular diseases like heart failure (diastolic/systolic dysfunction), right/left ventricular insufficiency and for cardiac ischemia. Furthermore, new concepts of (bio)-markers (e.g. circulating micro-RNAs and molecular signature of circulating mononuclear cells) are investigated for their potential to act as therapeutic or prognostic indicators of cardiac pathologies.