[Molecular aspects of congenital heart diseases].

Significant advances in the understanding of the molecular and genetic basis of congenital heart disease have emerged from gene inactivation studies in mice and from human genetic investigations. The identification of genes for heart defects have led to a clinical approach of these malformations in children and their families. These progresses have been made with the help of molecular biology as well as with the analysis of mouse models. Paediatric cardiologists have improved their efficiency in defining cardiac phenotypes but the genetic heterogeneity has made the molecular approach of a given defect difficult. In this review, we summarize different genetic causes for congenital heart disease and we highlight relevant genetic data for cardiac development in animal models.