From molecular mechanisms of cardiac development to genetic substrate of congenital heart diseases

Abstract

Congenital heart disease is one of the most important chapters in medicine because its incidence is increasing and nowadays it is close to 1.2%. Most congenital heart disorders are the result of defects during embryogenesis, which implies that they are due to alterations in genes involved in cardiac development. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in cardiac development in order to clarify the genetic basis of congenital heart disease.