Institute for Mummy Studies - Projects - MUMMY ATHEROSCLEROSIS

MUMMY ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Assessment of missing links in atherogenesis via paleogenetic, computed tomography and stable isotopic investigations

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Project duration: September 2014 - September 2024
Project status: finished
Funding:
Internal funding EURAC (Project)
Institute: Institute for Mummy Studies

In this project we are planning to investigate the evolution of known and novel genetic and environmental causes of atherosclerosis. In particular, the presence and extent of atherosclerosis with genetic and environmental factors will be compared in different study populations. The populations are composed of artificial and natural mummies from cultures across the globe dating back to 6,000 years Before Present (BP). Additionally, the genomes of these populations will be compared to early human populations including Neanderthals and the Denisova hominid. The investigation techniques include the confirmation of phenotypic evidence for atherosclerosis in mummies by using x-ray computed tomography. Biopsy samples will be analysed through next generation sequencing and stable isotope analyses.

The results will be used to assess atherosclerotic burden in past populations and with the genomic analysis the genomes of the studied populations can be correlated to the phenotype.

Publications

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains
Wurst C, Maixner F, Paladin A, Mussauer A, Valverde G, Narula J, Thompson R, Zink A (2024)
Journal article
Annals of Global Health

https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.4366

Atherosclerosis in ancient mummified humans: the global HORUS study
Thompson RC, Sutherland ML, Allam AH, Paladin A, Zink AR, Wann LS, Sutherland JD, Frohlich B, Hunt D, Miyamoto MI, Rowan CJ, Michalik DE, Finch CE, Lombardi GP, Soliman M, Monge JM, Vallodolid CM, Cox SL, Abdel-Maksoud G, Badr I, Nur el-Din A, King SI, Seyfried F, Panzer S, Zesch S, Wurst C, Samadelli M, Gregori G, Rossani M, Valverde G, Maixner F, Facchetti F, Warnasch S, Watson L, Narula J, Nelson AJ, Thomas GS (2024)
Journal article
European Heart Journal

https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehae283

Genetic study of Predynastic to early Islamic ancient Egyptian human remains
Mussauer A, Wurst C, Paladin A, Coia V, Maixner F, Zink A (2024)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: Mummies and the Ancient Egyptians | Budapest | 29.1.2024 - 2.2.2024

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains
Wurst C (2024)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: Monthly meeting of the HORUS-Tsimane study group | online | 16.3.2024 - 16.3.2024

The Gebelein Mummies: a review of the human remains and archaeological objects of Dr C. Reinhardt in the Berlin collection
Kuhn R, Teßmann B, Paladin A, Salem N, Sutherland ML, Zink A, Wurst C, Rosendahl W, Zesch S (2024)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: 8th International Conference “Egypt at its Origins” on Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt | Kraków | 16.9.2024 - 20.9.2024

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in mummies: a polygenic risk score based on a genetic enrichment approach
Wurst C, Maixner F, Paladin A, Mussauer A, Valverde G, Thompson R, Zink A (2023)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: New Horizons in Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA10) | Tartu | 13.9.2023 - 16.9.2023

Genetic study of ancient Egyptian human remains dating from the Predynastic Period to the early Islamic Period (ca. 4000 cal. BCE - 800 cal. CE)
Mussauer A, Wurst C, Paladin A, Coia V, Maixner F, Zink A (2023)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: New Horizons in Biomolecular Archaeology (ISBA10) | Tartu | 13.9.2023 - 16.9.2023

The Genetic Background of Atherosclerosis in Ancient Mummies
Zink A, Wurst C, Maixner F, Wann S, Thompson RC, Thomas GS
(2023)
Contribution in book
The Bioarchaeology of Cardiovascular Disease

https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108648561.007

Atherosclerosis among the Elites: A Bioarchaeological Investigation of Seventeenth- to Nineteenth-Century Mummified Human Remains from Palermo, Sicily (Italy) and Vilnius (Lithuania)
Piombino-Mascali D, Jankauskas R, Zink A, Panzer S (2023)
Contribution in book
The Bioarchaeology of Cardiovascular Disease

https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108648561.009

Molekulargenetische Untersuchung einer Mumie
Wurst C, Sarhan SM, Maixner F, Zink A (2023)
Journal article
BIOspektrum

More information: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12268-023-1982-z

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12268-023-1982-z

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in mummies: A polygenic risk score based on a genetic enrichment approach
Wurst C, Maixner F, Valverde G, Tessmann B, Krause-Kyora B, Krause J, Del Vesco P, Helmbold-Doyé J, Hotz G, Thompson R, Zink A (2022)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: 10th World Congress on Mummy Studies | Bolzano | 5.9.2022 - 9.9.2022

Four thousand years of maternal ancestry in ancient Egypt illuminated by mitochondrial genome sequencing
Mussauer A, Wurst C, Paladin A, Coia V, Maixner F, Helmbold-Doyé J, Del Vesco P, Rosendahl W, Zink A (2022)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: 10th World Congress on Mummy Studies | Bolzano | 5.9.2022 - 9.9.2022

The Lady from Basel’s Barfüsserkirche – Molecular confirmation of the Mummy’s identity through mitochondrial DNA of living relatives spanning 22 generations
Wurst C, Maixner F, Castella V, Cipollini G, Hotz G, Zink A (2022)
Journal article
Forensic Science International: Genetics

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2021.102604

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/19187

Ancient DNA analysis of rare genetic bone disorders
Maixner F, Gresky J, Zink A (2021)
Journal article
International Journal of Paleopathology

More information: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.009

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.009

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/17193

Correlation of atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis in ancient Egypt: A standardized evaluation of 45 whole-body CT examinations
Panzer S, Augat P, Sprenger M, Zesch S, Rosendahl W, Sutherland ML, Thompson RC, Paladin A, Zink A (2021)
Journal article
International Journal of Paleopathology

More information: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.004

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2021.04.004

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/17151

Molekulargenetische Überprüfung der historischen Identität von Anna Catharina Bischoff
Wurst C, Castella V, Cipollini G, Maixner F, Zink A (2021)
Contribution in book
Anna Catharina Bischoff. Die Mumie aus der Barfüsserkirche: Rekonstruktion einer Basler Frauenbiografie des 18. Jahrhunderts

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/19764

Molekulargenetische Hinweise zum physischen Erscheinungsbild
Wurst C, Maixner F, Zink A (2021)
Contribution in book
Anna Catharina Bischoff. Die Mumie aus der Barfüsserkirche: Rekonstruktion einer Basler Frauenbiografie des 18. Jahrhunderts

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/19765

Minimally-Invasive Bone Biopsies of Fully Wrapped Mummies Guided by Computed Tomography and Fibre-Optic Endoscopy: Suggested Methods and Guidelines
Wurst C, Paladin A, Wann LS, Frohlich B, Fritsch KO, Rowan CJ, Sutherland ML, Sutherland JD, Michalik D, Allam AH, Zesch S, Rosendahl W, Seyfried F, Thompson RC, Thomas GS, Zink A (2020)
Journal article
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102363

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/14773

Atherogenesis in Human Mummified Remains: Archaeogenetics
Wurst C, Maixner F, Zink A, The HORUS Study Team (2019)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: EMBO Practical Course - Bioinformatics and genome analyses | San Michele all'Adige | 16.6.2019 - 30.6.2019

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/13020

Possible evidence for care and treatment in the Tyrolean Iceman
Zink A, Samadelli M, Gostner P, Piombino-Mascali D (2019)
Journal article
International Journal of Paleopathology

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2018.07.006

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/6828

Preliminary Biopsy findings, Turin mummies
Frohlich B, Wurst C, Paladin A, Zink A (2017)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: Horus-Eurac conjoint symposium on the fundamental etiologies of atherosclerosis | Torino | 1.4.2017 - 1.4.2017

Preliminary aDNA analysis of Egyptian mummies of the Ägyptisches Museum in Berlin
Wurst C (2017)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: Horus-Eurac conjoint symposium on the fundamental etiologies of atherosclerosis | Torino | 1.4.2017 - 1.4.2017

A target enrichment capture for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease SNPs in human mummies
Wurst C, Maixner F, Coia V, Zink A (2017)
Presentation/Speech

Search for Cardiovascular Genetic Risk Factors in ancient DNA of Egyptian Mummified Human Remains
Wurst C, Wann S, Thompson R, Maixner F, Allam A, Finch C, Frohlich B, Sutherland L, Sutherland J, Narula N, Narula J, Fritsch K, Rowan C, Michalik D, Paladin A, Zesch S, Rosendahl W, Huppertz A, Seyfried F, Thomas G, Zink A (2016)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: 9th World Congress on Mummy Studies | Lima | 10.8.2016 - 13.8.2016

Atherosclerosis in ancient mummified human remains: Linking genetic predisposition with the occurrence of calcified plaques
Wurst C, Wann S, Thompson R, Keller A, Maixner F, Allam A, Finch C, Frohlich B, Kaplan H, Lombardi G, Sutherland L, Sutherland J, Watson L, Cox S, Miyamoto M, Narula J, Stewart A, Thomas G, Zink A (2015)
Presentation/Speech

Conference: 83rd EAS Congress | Glasgow | 22.3.2015 - 25.3.2015

Two studies show atherosclerosis has been with humans for much longer than assumed

CT scans and genetic analyses of ancient human remains indicate that atherosclerosis has been present in humans for thousands of years.

02 February 2024

Genetic Predisposition of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Human Remains

Our researchers have published a new paper in the journal Annals of Global Health to enlighten the genetic burden of our ancestors for the not just modern disease atherosclerosis, with our PhD student ...

Our partners

1 - 6

Mount Sinai Hospital
Smithsonian , National Museum of Natural History
University of Vienna, Department of Computational Systems Biology
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Long Beach, and University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, ...
Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, and University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, ...
Columbia St. Mary's Hospital

Project Team

1 - 2

Christina Wurst

Project Manager

Albert Zink

Vice Manager

Projects

1 - 10

Project

BOLD

Paleogenetic analysis of sixty Bolivian mummies provide precious insights into the genetic history ...

Duration: January 2024 - December 2024Funding: Provincial P.-L.P. 14. Mobility ...

Project

CeltUDAlps

"Celts" up & down the Alps: Origin and Mobility patterns on both sides of the Alps during the Late ...

Duration: January 2021 - December 2023Funding: Provincial P.-L.P. 14. Research ...

Project

MUMBO

Bioarcheological studies of mummified pre-Columbian remains from Bolivia. Understanding and ...

Duration: November 2021 - November 2023Funding: Provincial P.-L.P. 14. Seal of ...

Project

PrehistoricAlps

Genomic diversity of prehistoric individuals from the Iceman’s territory in the Eastern Italian Alps

Duration: October 2020 - December 2022Funding: Provincial P.-L.P. 14. Research ...

Project