title: The European Network for Translational Research in Atrial Fibrillation (EUTRAF): objectives and initial results.
abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in the general population. As an age-related arrhythmia AF is becoming a huge socio-economic burden for European healthcare systems. Despite significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiology of AF, therapeutic strategies for AF have not changed substantially and the major challenges in the management of AF are still unmet. This lack of progress may be related to the multifactorial pathogenesis of atrial remodelling and AF that hampers the identification of causative pathophysiological alterations in individual patients. Also, again new mechanisms have been identified and the relative contribution of these mechanisms still has to be established. In November 2010, the European Union launched the large collaborative project EUTRAF (European Network of Translational Research in Atrial Fibrillation) to address these challenges. The main aims of EUTRAF are to study the main mechanisms of initiation and perpetuation of AF, to identify the molecular alterations underlying atrial remodelling, to develop markers allowing to monitor this processes, and suggest strategies to treat AF based on insights in newly defined disease mechanisms. This article reports on the objectives, the structure, and initial results of this network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands schotten@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schotten
authors.affiliation: Université Pierre Marie Curie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hatem
authors.affiliation: Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ravens
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, LYRIC (Institut de rythmologie et de modélisation cardiaque), Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaïs
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank-Ulrich
authors.initials: FU
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goette
authors.affiliation: Universität Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rohr
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of the Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antoons
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of the Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Burkert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pieske
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of the Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scherr
authors.affiliation: Medical Information Technology Solutions, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oto
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casadei
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verheule
authors.affiliation: UK Health & Environment Research Institute, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cartlidge
authors.affiliation: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steinmeyer
authors.affiliation: Osypka AG, Germany.
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Götsche
authors.affiliation: Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Dobromir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobrev
authors.affiliation: Philipps Universität, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kockskämper
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lendeckel
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences and UHB NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Larissa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fabritz
authors.affiliation: University Clinic of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences and SWBH NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: Paulus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kirchhof
authors.affiliation: St. George's University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Camm
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064752:Atrial Remodeling; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000639:trends*
keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Atrial remodelling; Biomarker; Diagnostic tools; Pathophysiology; Stroke