Biomedicines Webinar | Morpho-Molecular and Genetic Basis of Cardiomyopathies
the chair
19th Biomedicines Webinar
Morpho-Molecular and Genetic Basis of Cardiomyopathies
Cardiomyopathies include several heart muscle diseases that are often incompletely defined in terms of cause and pathway and often poorly responsive to the proposed treatment. Even in largely recognized entities as myocarditis, the adoption of the effective therapy is still debated and the agents involved are increasingly identified by the new-generation sequencies technique. In fact, the morphomolecular investigation of endomyocardial biopsy samples appear to be inevitable to obtain a personalized and most effective treatment.
Regarding the origin of cardiac electrical instability, the direct involvement of conduction tissue (CT) is recognizable in endomyocardial biopsies examination and the possibility to explore CT damage through the determination of CT main molecular complex HCN4 in the peripheral blood appear as a likely prospective option. Many rare diseases phenotyipically express as cardiomyopathies and their definition and identification is crucial for appropriate management.
Nevertheless, even the administration of the lacking molecular component (i.e., enzyme replacement therapy—ERT) can be clinically unsatisfactory. Recently, it has been shown that ERT delivery can be limited in Fabry disease cardiomyopathy by a reduced expression of mannose-6-phosphate receptor that provides its uptake at the level of cell membrane as well as its targeting into lysosomes.
The aim of the present webinar is to update the latest morpho-molecular and genetic knowledge in cardiomyopathy.
Date: 11 December 2025
Time: 2:00 pm CET | 8:00 am EST | 9:00 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 875 7695 1210
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Andrea Frustaci
Cellular and Molecular Cardiology Lab, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy;
Prof. Dr. Andrea Frustaci was born in S. Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio (CZ), Italy on 8th April 1952. He graduated from the Catholic University of Rome with full honors on 2nd November 1977. He passed the Postgraduate Board in Cardiology with full honors, at the Catholic University of Rome. He has since been an Assistant Professor in Cardiology at the Catholic University School of Medicine of Rome, Policlinico "Agostino Gemelli". He is an Associate Professor of Cardiology at La Sapienza University in Rome and leads the IRCCS L.Spallanzani lab of cellular and molecular cardiology of endomyocardial biopsies and IRCCS San Raffaele. He is the author of over 240 papers on international journals regarding mostly myocarditis, cardiomyopathies, and heart failure with a Hirsch (H) index of 50. Prof A Frustaci has been nominated Chairperson Elect of the Working Group on " Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases" of the European Society of Cardiology for 2024-2026.
Prof. Dr. Heinz-Peter Schultheiss
Institut Kardiale Diagnostik und Therapie (IKDT), Berlin, Germany;
Prof. Dr. Matteo Antonio Russo
IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, Italy;
Prof. Matteo Antonio Russo, obtained his medical degree from the Catholic University of Rome in 1969. Between 1969 and 1983, he specialized in Cardiology, Oncology, and Clinical Pathology. As a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania (1974–1976) and later Adjunct Professor at Temple University (1977–1985), he expanded his academic and research career in the United States.
At Sapienza University of Rome, Dr. Russo served as Assistant Professor (1970), Associate Professor (1980), and Full Professor (1985–2014), and was Chief of the Clinical Pathology Department. Since 2014, he has been Head of Preclinical Research at IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, where he also serves as President of the MEBIC Research Consortium.
Dr. Russo was a member of the National Research Committee of the Italian Ministry of Health (2001–2009) and is affiliated with several professional societies, including AAAS and major Pathology, Oncology, and Cardiology societies. His scientific contributions have been recognized with the Assicurazioni Generali Award for Experimental Oncology and the Malpighi Award for Translational Medicine from the Malpighi and Holding Intern. Altay Foundation.
He has authored 311 publications indexed in PubMed and four book chapters. His research focuses on cell volume regulation independent of ATPase activity, the role of calcium and cytoskeletal mechanisms in cell death, cellular responses to stress, and the HIF/NFκB pathway in tumor progression, obesity, degenerative diseases, and ageing. He has also contributed to understanding the molecular repair mechanisms in cardiomyopathies, including the role of mechanosensitive signaling and sirtuins in myocardial maintenance and repair.
Prof. Dr. Alessandro De Luca
Medical Genetics Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy;
Dr. Alessandro De Luca is a Research Geneticist at the CSS-Mendel Institute (IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza) in Rome, Italy. His research focuses on the molecular genetics of rare and inherited disorders, integrating genomic, transcriptomic, and functional approaches to investigate disease mechanisms and genotype–phenotype correlations. He collaborates across clinical and research teams to advance the translation of genomic data into precision medicine, including applications in cardiology and neurogenetics.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
In this section, you will find the recordings of this webinar to watch, re-watch and share with your colleagues!
"Morpho-Molecular and Genetic Basis of Cardiomyopathies"
Edited by Prof. Dr. Andrea Frustaci
Deadline for manuscript subissions: 30 June 2026