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Genetic predisposition and risk factors such as hypertension and smoking can instigate the development of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), which can lead to highly lethal aortic wall dissection and/or rupture. Monogenic defects in multiple genes involved in the elastin-contractile unit and the TGFβ signaling pathway have been associated with TAA in recent years, along with several genetic modifiers and risk-conferring polymorphisms. Advances in omics technology have also provided significant insights into the processes behind aortic wall degeneration: inflammation, epigenetics, vascular smooth muscle phenotype change and depletion, reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and angiotensin signaling dysregulation. These recent advances and findings might pave the way for a therapy that is capable of stopping and perhaps even reversing aneurysm progression.

Purpose of the Review: Thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAADs) are a major health problem in the Western population. This review summarises recent discoveries in the genetic landscape of TAAD disease, discusses current challenges in clinical practice, and describes the molecular road ahead in TAAD research. Disorders, in which aneurysmal disease is not observed in the thoracic aorta, are not discussed., Recent Findings: Current gene discovery studies have pinpointed about 40 genes associated with TAAD risk, accounting for about 30% of the patients. Importantly, novel genes, and their subsequent functional characterisation, have expanded the knowledge on disease-related pathways providing crucial information on key elements in this disease, and it pinpoints new therapeutic targets. Moreover, current molecular evidence also suggests the existence of less monogenic nature of TAAD disease, in which the presentation of a diseased patient is most likely influenced by a multitude of genetic and environmental factors., Summary Clinical Practice/relevance: Ongoing molecular genetic research continues to expand our understanding on the pathomechanisms underlying TAAD disease in order to improve molecular diagnosis, optimise risk stratification, advance therapeutic strategies and facilitate counselling of TAAD patients and their families., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Loeys-Dietz syndrome is an autosomal dominant aortic aneurysm syndrome characterized by multisystemic involvement. The most typical clinical triad includes hypertelorism, bifid uvula or cleft palate and aortic aneurysm with tortuosity. Natural history is significant for aortic dissection at smaller aortic diameter and arterial aneurysms throughout the arterial tree. The genetic cause is heterogeneous and includes mutations in genes encoding for components of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signalling pathway: TGFBR1, TGFBR2, SMAD2, SMAD3, TGFB2 and TGFB3. Despite the loss of function nature of these mutations, the patient-derived aortic tissues show evidence of increased (rather than decreased) TGFβ signalling. These insights offer new options for therapeutic interventions., (© 2021. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Progressive dilatation of the thoracic aorta leads to thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA), which is often asymptomatic but predisposes to lethal aortic dissections and ruptures. TAA is a common complication in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Recently, rare loss-of-function SMAD6 variants were shown to contribute significantly to the genetic aetiology of BAV/TAA. Intriguingly, patients with craniosynostosis have also been reported to be explained molecularly by similar loss-of-function SMAD6 variants. While significantly reduced penetrance of craniosynostosis has been reported for the SMAD6 variants as such, near-complete penetrance is reached upon co-occurrence with a common BMP2 SNP risk allele. Here, we report on the results of a SMAD6-variant analysis in 473 unrelated non-syndromic TAA patients, of which the SMAD6-positive individuals were also studied for the presence of the BMP2 risk allele. Although only 14% of the TAA patients also presented BAV, all novel likely pathogenic SMAD6 variants (N = 7) were identified in BAV/TAA individuals, further establishing the role of SMAD6 variants to the aetiology of BAV/TAA and revealing limited contribution to TAA development in patients with a tricuspid aortic valve. Familial segregation studies confirmed reduced penetrance (82%) and variable clinical expressivity, with coarctation of the aorta being a common comorbidity. None of our six BMP2+/SMAD6+ patients presented with craniosynostosis. Hence, the proposed digenic model for craniosynostosis was not supported in the presented BAV/TAA cohort, suggesting that additional factors are at play. Finally, our data provide improved insights into the clinical spectrum of SMAD6-related BAV/TAA and has important implications for molecular diagnostics.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is the commonest form of heritable bone fragility. It is mainly characterized by fractures, hearing loss and dentinogenesis imperfecta. OI patients are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease of variable severity. Aortic aneurysm/dissection is one of the rarer but potentially serious cardiovascular complications of OI. So far, only six patients with aortic dissection and OI have been reported. As such, present OI diagnostic guidelines do not recommend systematic screening of patients for aortopathy. Here, we report on the clinical and molecular characteristics of three new OI patients and one additional patient with a first degree relative who presented with aortic dissection and/or aneurysm surgery. This observation further opens up the discussion on the need for and extent of cardiovascular screening in adult patients with OI., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)