A group of researchers from the Institute of Neuro-genetics and neuro-pharmacology (Inn) Calgliari of NRC, in collaboration with various groups of national and international researchers as part of the consortium QTSCD (QT Interval and Sudden Cardiac Death), identified new genes responsible for variation of the QT interval. The QT interval corresponds to the entire depolarization and repolarization cardiac deduced from analysis of the electrocardiogram. Repolarization is the process by which the heart is beating after each recharge. According Serena Sanna, researcher proget Progenies the Inn-CNR, who led this study in collaboration with Arne Pfeiffer of the Institute of Genetics, Munich and Dan arcing of

the John Hopkins University in Baltimore, many factors such as the age, sex or drug use can affect the QT interval, but the genetic component plays an very important. To find out which of the DNA variants affect the QT interval of the population, researchers at the Inn-CNR used the approach known as "Genome-wide association study (GWAS). The DNA of 4300 individuals Sardis was investigated. The same work was performed on 12,000 individuals from the Alto Adige in Italy, Germany and the United States, which have undergone an electrocardiogram and a blood sample. With new methods of bioinformatics, it was possible to analyze all this information and discover what millions of variants studied were associated with the variation of the QT interval. The researcher at the Inn-CNR, Manuela Uda, ProgeNIA project manager, emphasized that this study is not only important for the discovery in itself, but also because it demonstrates how research on the population may be beneficial to the Identification of genes involved in real conditions. This research has revealed for the first time that within four genes known to be the cause of long QT syndrome and short QT, are common genetic variants in the population who are responsible only small physiological variations of QT interval. Serena Sanna said that this study will, in future, to activate a program of prevention for those at risk and to develop new therapies. In particular, these genes could be as modulators in the most serious such as long QT syndrome and short QT syndrome, disorder of the electrical system of the heart responsible for dangerous ventricular arrhythmia, which in severe cases may cause sudden death by cardiac arrest.