Attila Kiss

SGV Meeting 2026 · Scientific Programme

CHUV, Lausanne

• 24 November 2026 · 12:20Cardiovascular Research Using Rodent Models
  Abstract

  This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of small animal models used in cardiovascular (CV) disease research, with particular emphasis on the experience and translational research environment in Vienna. The talk will highlight both genetic and non-genetic models of pressure overload–induced cardiac hypertrophy, illustrating how these experimental systems contribute to our understanding of cardiac remodeling, heart failure progression, and therapeutic development. Special attention will be given to the importance of biological sex as a critical variable in CV research, emphasizing sex-specific differences in disease susceptibility, progression, and treatment response that are increasingly recognized as essential for reproducibility and translational relevance.

  In addition, the presentation will discuss cardiovascular involvement in muscular dystrophy models, focusing on the value of preclinical systems in understanding cardiomyopathy associated with neuromuscular disorders. The unique contribution of rat models will also be explored, particularly their advantages in physiological monitoring, imaging, and translational cardiovascular studies when compared with murine systems. A further focus will address the growing interest in cancer and tumor-bearing mouse models as tools to investigate the relationship between cancer, cancer therapies, and cardiometabolic dysfunction. These emerging models provide important opportunities to uncover mechanisms underlying cardio-oncology complications and to identify early predictors of cardiovascular risk associated with malignancy and anti-cancer treatment. Finally, the presentation will emphasize the central role of advanced imaging technologies in small animal cardiovascular research. Imaging modalities not only enable longitudinal and non-invasive assessment of cardiac structure and function, but also represent a key factor in improving reproducibility, standardization, and translational validity across preclinical studies. By integrating diverse disease models with state-of-the-art imaging approaches, this presentation will provide participants with a broad perspective on current strategies and future directions in small animal models of cardiovascular research.