Future translational applications from the contemporary genomics era: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

The field of genetics and genomics has advanced considerably with the achievement of recent milestones encompassing the identification of many loci for cardiovascular disease and variable drug responses. Despite this achievement, a gap exists in the understanding and advancement to meaningful translation that directly affects disease prevention and clinical care. The purpose of this scientific statement is to address the gap between genetic discoveries and their practical application to cardiovascular clinical care. In brief, this scientific statement assesses the current timeline for effective translation of basic discoveries to clinical advances, highlighting past successes. Current discoveries in the area of genetics and genomics are covered next, followed by future expectations, tools, and competencies for achieving the goal of improving clinical care.

The National Institute of Nursing Research Graduate Partnerships Program (NINR-GPP): an opportunity for PhD students.

The Institutional Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) offered by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) provides an exceptional opportunity for students who are enrolled in any PhD program in nursing across the nation to complete dissertation research on the premier research campus of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. The goal of this doctoral fellowship program, which is up to 3 years in length, is to train promising doctoral students in basic and clinical research. This knowledge and skill set is necessary for the next generation of nurse scientists to ultimately conduct translational research. In this article, the authors describe the program, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and selection criteria for NINR-supported GPP nursing students. Also provided are tips for interested students and outcomes of current and former NINR-supported GPP students (NINR-GPP).

Antioxidant vitamins C and E improve endothelial function in children with hyperlipidemia: Endothelial Assessment of Risk from Lipids in Youth (EARLY) Trial.

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia is associated with endothelial dysfunction, an early event in atherosclerosis and predictor of risk for future coronary artery disease. Epidemiological studies suggest that increased dietary intake of antioxidants reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. The purpose of this study was to determine whether antioxidant vitamin therapy improves endothelial function and affects surrogate biomarkers for oxidative stress and inflammation in hyperlipidemic children. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the effects of antioxidant vitamins C (500 mg/d) and E (400 IU/d) for 6 weeks and the National Cholesterol Education Program Step II (NCEP-II) diet for 6 months on endothelium-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery were examined in 15 children with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) or the phenotype of familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCH). Antioxidant vitamin therapy improved FMD of the brachial artery compared with baseline (P<0.001) without an effect on biomarkers for oxidative stress (autoantibodies to epitopes of oxidized LDL, F2-isoprostanes, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine), inflammation (C-reactive protein), or levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide. CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant therapy with vitamins C and E restores endothelial function in hyperlipidemic children. Early detection and treatment of endothelial dysfunction in high-risk children may retard the progression of atherosclerosis.