About the IPM intracranial aneurysms project
Aneurysms, or balloon-like dilatations of the arterial wall, can occur in arteries within the brain, particularly downstream of branch points. These aneurysms are sensitive to rupture, which could result in intracranial hemorrhage, stroke or death. Accordingly, being able to identify patients susceptible to aneurysms would allow monitoring and, when identified, prophylactic treatment of the aneurysm.
Dr. Robert Harbaugh, distinguished professor of Neurosurgery at Penn State College of Medicine, and Dr. Kevin Cockroft, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, have identified families in which susceptibility to occurrence of aneurysms appears to be inherited.
IPM investigators are exploring the genomic sequences of members of these families in an attempt to pinpoint the genetic lesion responsible for this susceptibility and thereby provide a prognostic indicator of the likelihood of developing aneurysms.