ID-SCAD Consortium Meets in Munich to Advance International SCAD Research

Members of the ID-SCAD consortium recently gathered in Munich for their first in-person network meeting, marking an important milestone in this international collaboration dedicated to unraveling the mechanisms behind spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).

Hosted by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kessler and his team at TUM Klinikum Deutsches Herzzentrum München, the two-day meeting brought together researchers from the groups of Prof. Dr. Hester den Ruijter, Prof. Dr. Linda van Laake and Dr. Ernest Diez Benavente (UMC Utrecht), Prof. Dr. Nabila Bouatia-Naji (Paris Cardiovascular Research Center, PARCC), and Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kessler (Munich). The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to share the latest scientific findings, discuss ongoing projects, and define future research directions. Our own PhD student Luna Brasi presented her ongoing work on spatial transcriptomic slides of SCAD patients and Dr. Anne-Mar van Ommen presented her questionnaire-based study about prodromal symptoms in SCAD patients.

SCAD is an important yet understudied cause of acute myocardial infarction, predominantly affecting relatively young women without traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Despite its severe consequences, the underlying disease mechanisms remain largely unknown, highlighting the urgent need for dedicated research.

The Munich meeting follows the recent grant from the Dutch Heart Foundation to support international research into the causes of SCAD. Through this collaboration, the consortium combines expertise in genetics, vascular biology, and translational research to better understand why SCAD occurs, why women are disproportionately affected, and how inherited risk factors influence the vessel wall. The project will also leverage unique SCAD vascular tissue samples, including material from the UNRAVEL Biobank, to gain novel insights into disease mechanisms.

Beyond the exciting scientific discussions, the meeting strengthened collaborations across institutions and reinforced the shared commitment to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately the lives of patients affected by SCAD.

We would like to sincerely thank Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kessler, Dr. Carla Abrahamian, and the entire Munich team for their warm hospitality and for organizing such a successful meeting. We are already looking forward to continuing these discussions at the next consortium meeting in Paris!

The ID-SCAD consortium is supported by the Dutch Heart Foundation, Fondation Lefoulon Delalande, and DZHK (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung).