Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death in Germany and contribute significantly to complications and hospital admissions. Therefore, the need for new prevention strategies and individualized therapy concepts is very high.

The Mannheim Comprehensive Angioscience Campus (MCAC) links the institutions of the Medical Faculty Mannheim, which were united in the former research focus Vascular Biology and Medicine, with institutes in Mannheim and Heidelberg, both within and outside the university. They are all pursuing the same goal: to develop comprehensive vascular medicine strategies for the future with individualized prevention and therapy concepts based on basic scientific findings to be applied for the benefit of patients.

Blood vessels run through the entire body and supply organs with nutrients and oxygen. However, vessels are not only responsible for tissue perfusion. They also significantly control organ function, for example by communicating with other cell types through the secretion of regulatory mediators. In a similar manner, vessels play a crucial role in organ dysfunction and in the development of disease.

Changes in vessels have been shown to lead to diseases in multiple organs, including heart attack, heart failure, fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, stroke and cancer. Little is known so far about the molecular mechanisms, risk factors or biomarkers of these vascular diseases. The term Angioscience describes research that examines the entirety of vascular functions in health and disease and that enables the development of strategies to improve patient care.

The Mannheim Comprehensive Angioscience Campus is a networking platform that connects institutes in Mannheim and Heidelberg that are dedicated to vascular research. Within the MCAC, Angioscience is conducted at various levels by the following institutions:

Basic and Translational Angioscience

• European Center of Angioscience (ECAS)
• Helmholtz Institute for Translational AngioCardioScience (HI-TAC)
• German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK, Heidelberg-Mannheim site)
• Collaborative Research Center SFB 1366

Translational, Precision and Preventive Angioscience

• Center for Cardiovascular Disease Control (CCDC)

Clinical Angioscience

• University Vascular Center Mannheim (UGM)
• Center for Cardiovascular Acute Medicine Mannheim (ZKAM)