title: Understanding the Pathophysiology of Intracranial Aneurysm: The ICAN Project.
abstract: Understanding the pathophysiologic mechanism of intracranial aneurysm (IA) formation is a prerequisite to assess the potential risk of rupture. Nowadays, there are neither reliable biomarkers nor diagnostic tools to predict the formation or the evolution of IA. Increasing evidence suggests a genetic component of IA but genetics studies have failed to identify genetic variation causally related to IA.
  
  
  
  To develop diagnostic and predictive tools for the risk of IA formation and rupture.
  
  
  
  The French ICAN project is a noninterventional nationwide and multicentric research program. Each typical IA of bifurcation will be included. For familial forms, further IA screening will be applied among first-degree relatives. By accurate phenotype description with high-throughput genetic screening, we aim to identify new genes involved in IA. These potential genetic markers will be tested in large groups of patients. Any relevant pathway identified will be further explored in a large cohort of sporadic carriers of IA, which will be well documented with clinical, biological, and imaging data.
  
  
  
  Discovering genetic risk factors, better understanding the pathophysiology, and identifying molecular mechanisms responsible for IA formation will be essential bases for the development of biomarkers and identification of therapeutic targets.
  
  
  
  Our protocol has many assets. A nationwide recruitment allows for the inclusion of large pedigrees with familial forms of IA. It will combine accurate phenotyping and comprehensive imaging with high-throughput genetic screening. Last, it will enable exploiting metadata to explore new pathophysiological pathways of interest by crossing clinical, genetic, biological, and imaging information.
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiological Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nan-tes, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bourcier
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chatel
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Emmanuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bourcereau
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiological Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nan-tes, France.
authors.forename: Solène
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jouan
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Hervé Le
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Marec
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiological Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nan-tes, France.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Daumas-Duport
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Cen-tre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sevin-Allouet
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Cen-tre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guillon
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Depart-ment, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roualdes
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgery Depart-ment, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Tanguy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riem
authors.affiliation: Clinical genetics Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Isidor
authors.affiliation: Ophtalmologic Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nan-tes, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lebranchu
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Connault
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Thierry Le
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tourneau
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Alban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaignard
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Gervaise
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Loirand
authors.affiliation: L'institut du thorax Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, UNIV Nantes, Centre Hos-pitalier Universitaire Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Redon
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiological Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Nantes, Nan-tes, France.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Desal
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Aneurysm; Familial; Genetics; Pathophysiology