Institution/Agency: Mayo Clinic – Rochester, Minnesota
Principal Investigator: Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD
Dates Funded: July 2004 - present
Project: Molecular Autopsy for Cases of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood: A Resource for Postmortem Genetic Testing
Description: The purpose of this research project is to elucidate a genetic cause for an autopsy negative sudden unexplained death in a child. Postmortem genetic testing - that targets the genes encoding critical cardiac channels that have been implicated as the cause of potentially lethal heritable arrhythmia syndromes like long QT syndrome (LQTS) and catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) - is performed on genetic material (DNA) extracted from archived tissue or blood spot cards.
Research Publications List
- Lisa B. Cronk, BA,* Bin Ye, PhD,† Toshihiko Kaku, MD, PhD, David J. Tester, BS, Matteo Vatta, PhD, Jonathan C. Makielski, MD, Michael J. Ackerman, MD, PhD, Novel Mechanism for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Persistent Late Sodium Current Secondary to Mutations in Caveolin-3, Heart Rhythms, (2007)
- Postmortem Long QT Syndrome Genetic Testing for Sudden Unexplained Death in the Young, Journal of American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythms Disorders, January 16, 2007, 240-246.
- Debra Weese-Mayer, Michael J. Ackerman. Mary L. Marazita, Elizabeth M. Berry-Kravis, Research Review Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Review of Implicated Genetic Factors. American Journal of Medical Genetics, (2007), 771-788
