Blood Pressure

Atlas of Blood Pressure Physiology Map (BPMap)

Development status: Available for exploration online
Disease IDs: MeSH:D001794, HP:0000822, DOID:10763, OBA_VT0000183
Sustainable support: MINERVA Platform
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License
Construction tool: CellDesigner
Contact: Ahmad Vaez, Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands (a.vaez (at) umcg.nl)

Description

The Atlas of Blood Pressure Physiology Map (BPMap) is a bioinformatics resource designed to advance translational medicine and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms that govern blood pressure regulation. By integrating signaling, gene regulatory, and metabolic pathways, BPMap provides essential insights into the biological processes underlying blood pressure physiology and pathophysiology.

Elevated arterial blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and remains the leading cause of premature mortality worldwide. Approximately 1.28 billion adults aged 30-79 years are affected by hypertension. Preventing and controlling this condition is therefore a critical global public health priority.

Despite its prevalence and clinical significance, key aspects of the pathological mechanisms driving hypertension remain insufficiently understood, contributing to gaps in both preventive and therapeutic strategies.

In close collaboration with the International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) and the Disease Maps Project, BPMap seeks to close these gaps by offering comprehensive visualizations of the biological processes implicated in elevated arterial blood pressure. These representations enable clinical and life science researchers to examine disease mechanisms in detail, while the computationally tractable structure of BPMap supports bioinformaticians in developing mathematical models of these mechanisms. By elucidating the complex interplay of molecular and physiological factors, BPMap serves as an openly accessible platform for artificial intelligence-enabled analyses and tools, which will support the creation of more precisely targeted therapeutic interventions and ultimately contribute to improved global health outcomes with fewer treatment-related side effects.

Structure of BPMap

BPMap will ultimately comprise a suite of interconnected maps and submaps. Given the central role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in blood pressure regulation, our first map introduces a new systems biology physiological map designed to support a comprehensive understanding of RAAS pathways called Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Molecular Interaction Map (RAAS-MIM). Additional physiological systems and pathways related to blood pressure regulation, including those related to the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems, as well as microbiome-associated mechanisms, will be addressed in separate maps due to their scope and complexity.

Access RAAS-MIM

BPMap Team

BPMap Development Team

	Babak Babaabasi, PhD Fellow Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Department of Bioinformatics PhD Student Development of BPMap, Curator
	Mina Dadkhah, PhD Fellow Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Department of Bioinformatics PhD Student Development of BPMap, Curator

BPMap Expert Panel

	Helen R. Warren, PhD Queen Mary University of London, UK Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) Senior Researcher, Review
	Martin H. de Borst, MD, PhD University of Groningen, the Netherlands Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology Professor of Medicine, Review
	Patricia B Munroe, PhD Queen Mary University of London, UK Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) Professor of Molecular Medicine, Review

BPMap Technical Panel

	Ahmed Hemedan, PhD LCSB, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Postdoctoral Researcher Review and support
	Marek Ostaszewski, PhD LCSB, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Senior Researcher Review and support
	Anna Niarakis, PhD University of Toulouse, France Faculty of Science and Engineering, Department of Biology and Geosciences Professor of Bioinformatics Review and Technical Support

BPMap Editorial Panel

	Mohamadreza Sehhati, PhD Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran Department of Bioinformatics Associate professor Supervision and Review
	Harold Snieder, PhD University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Epidemiology, Unit of Genetic Epidemiology & Bioinformatics Professor of Genetic Epidemiology International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) Supervision and Review
	Ahmad Vaez, MD, PhD University of Groningen, The Netherlands Department of Epidemiology, Unit of Genetic Epidemiology & Bioinformatics Senior Researcher International Consortium for Blood Pressure (ICBP) Supervision and Review, Project Coordinator

Acknowledgements

This project is supported by ELIXIR Luxembourg (ELIXIR-LU) Node. ELIXIR-LU hosts and maintains the MINERVA Platform for this project and supports its development.