Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Javier Barallobre-Barreiro, Tamas Radovits, Marika Fava, Ursula Mayr, Wen-Yu Lin, Elizaveta Ermolaeva, Diego Martinez-Lopez, Eric L. Lindberg, Elisa Duregotti, Laszlo Daroczi, Maria Hasman, Lukas E. Schmidt, Bhawana Singh, Ruifang Lu, Ferheen Baig, Aleksandra Malgorzata Siedlar, Friederike Cuello, Norman Catibog, Konstantinos Theofilatos, Ajay M. Shah, Maria G. Crespo-Leiro, Nieves Domenech, Norbert Hubner, Bela Merkely, Manuel Mayr
Summary: The study identified ADAMTS5 protease as critical for versican degradation in the heart and found that versican accumulation is associated with impaired cardiac function in heart failure patients and animal models. Versikine, an ADAMTS-specific cleavage product, accumulated in ischemic heart failure patients and following cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury in animal models. The use of beta-blockers in heart failure patients was associated with a reduction in ECM deposition, particularly in the levels of versican, indicating a potential beneficial effect on cardiac chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan content.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Jin Li, Ane M. Salvador, Guoping Li, Nedyalka Valkov, Olivia Ziegler, Ashish Yeri, Chun Yang Xiao, Bessie Meechoovet, Eric Alsop, Rodosthenis S. Rodosthenous, Piyusha Kundu, Tianxiao Huan, Daniel Levy, John Tigges, Alexander R. Pico, Ionita Ghiran, Michael G. Silverman, Xiangmin Meng, Robert Kitchen, Jiahong Xu, Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, Ravi Shah, Junjie Xiao, Saumya Das
Summary: miR-30d can improve cardiac function and reduce fibrosis by targeting MAP4K4 and integrin alpha 5, showing a protective effect in ischemic heart failure. The communication of extracellular vesicle-contained miRNAs may provide a novel therapeutic target in heart failure treatment.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Nikolaos G. Frangogiannis
Summary: Myocardial fibrosis, characterized by the expansion of cardiac interstitium through deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, is a common pathophysiologic feature in various myocardial conditions. Activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts play a central role in cardiac fibrosis, producing matrix proteins and triggering fibrogenic signalling cascades in response to stress. Immune cells, vascular cells, and cardiomyocytes can also contribute to fibrosis, while fibrotic changes may disrupt cardiac function and play a role in arrhythmogenesis.
CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Mohammad Daniel Shafiq Hassan, Norhafiza Razali, Amy Suzana Abu Bakar, Noor Fahitah Abu Hanipah, Renu Agarwal
Summary: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a signaling molecule involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Its upregulation is associated with fibrotic diseases and glaucoma. It may serve as a potential therapeutic target in glaucoma management.
EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Lisa E. Dorn, William Lawrence, Jennifer M. Petrosino, Xianyao Xu, Thomas J. Hund, Bryan A. Whitson, Matthew S. Stratton, Paul M. L. Janssen, Peter J. Mohler, Anders Schlosser, Grith L. Sorensen, Federica Accornero
Summary: This study identified a novel role for nonmyocyte-derived MFAP4 in cardiac remodeling, playing a crucial role in cardiac adaptation to stress. Lack of MFAP4 resulted in increased cardiac hypertrophy, worsened cardiac function, and dysregulated G protein-coupled receptor and integrin signaling in the heart.
CIRCULATION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Zenaida Ceausu, Bogdan Socea, Mariana Costache, Dragos Predescu, Dragos Serban, Catalin G. Smarandache, Irina Pacu, Haradja Horatiu Alexandru, Ana Maria Davitoiu, Florentina Jacota-Alexe, Catalin Cirstoveanu, Mihai C. T. Dimitriu, Liana Ples, Mihai Ceausu
Summary: Cardiac fibroblasts play a crucial role in cardiac repair, especially under ischemic conditions where they transform into myofibroblasts to facilitate myocardial healing.
EXPERIMENTAL AND THERAPEUTIC MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jonathan J. Petrocelli, Ziad S. Mahmassani, Dennis K. Fix, Jessie A. Montgomery, Paul T. Reidy, Alec McKenzie, Naomi M. de Hart, Patrick J. Ferrara, Joshua J. Kelley, Hiroaki Eshima, Katsuhiko Funai, Micah J. Drummond
Summary: The combination treatment of metformin and leucine was effective in increasing muscle function, satellite cell content, and reducing collagen accumulation, thus improving muscle quality during disuse and recovery in aging mice.
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Katarzyna Hackert, Susanne Homann, Shakila Mir, Arne Beran, Simone Gorressen, Florian Funk, Jens W. Fischer, Maria Grandoch, Joachim P. Schmitt
Summary: 4-MU can attenuate inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling in pressure-overloaded myocardium by reducing both resident and invading cardiac macrophages, leading to reduced myocardial fibrosis. Additionally, 4-MU also reduces left ventricular hypertrophy and increases cardiac output after TAC surgery.
Review
Cell Biology
Peter T. Wright, Julia Gorelik, Sian E. Harding
Summary: Research in cardiovascular biology has provided significant insights into the beta-adrenoceptor family in the past fifteen years, shifting pharmacological focus to structural micro-domains. While links between ion channels and beta AR are assumed, there are relatively few studies specifically examining the direct link between structural remodeling and electrical remodeling.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Pei Wang, Shangcheng Xu, Jiqian Xu, Yanguo Xin, Yan Lu, Huiliang Zhang, Bo Zhou, Haodong Xu, Shey-Shing Sheu, Rong Tian, Wang Wang
Summary: This study reveals that chronic stress can upregulate the expression of mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU), preserving calcium homeostasis and cardiomyocyte viability to counteract stress-induced pathological cardiac remodeling.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhi-Yan Liu, Kai Song, Bin Tu, Li-Chan Lin, He Sun, Yang Zhou, Rui Li, Yan Shi, Jing-Jing Yang, Ye Zhang, Jian-Yuan Zhao, Hui Tao
Summary: With the in-depth investigation of cardiac fibrosis, oxidative stress (OS) has been recognized as a significant pathophysiological pathway involved in cardiac remodeling and progression. Accumulation of reactive substances disrupts the normal physiology, leading to OS, inflammation, hypertrophy, and cardiac fibrosis. Epigenetic modifications play a crucial role in regulating cardiac OS, making it a potentially promising therapeutic strategy. This article provides a new review of current research on this subject and proposes that epigenetics may improve OS-induced cardiac fibrosis.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Jan M. Leerink, Mabel van de Ruit, Elizabeth A. M. Feijen, Leontien C. M. Kremer, Annelies M. C. Mavinkurve-Groothuis, Yigal M. Pinto, Esther E. Creemers, Wouter E. M. Kok
Summary: In anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy, ECM remodeling plays a crucial role. A review of 68 studies in various animal models revealed differential expression of 29 proteins and 11 mRNAs related to ECM remodeling pathways. Upregulation of collagens, MMPs, inflammation markers, TGF-β signaling markers, and markers for cardiac hypertrophy, along with downregulation of the AKT pro-survival pathway, were observed in this type of cardiomyopathy.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2021)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Joshua G. Travers, Sara A. Wennersten, Brisa Pena, Rushita A. Bagchi, Harrison E. Smith, Rachel A. Hirsch, Lauren A. Vanderlinden, Ying-Hsi Lin, Evgenia Dobrinskikh, Kimberly M. Demos-Davies, Maria A. Cavasin, Luisa Mestroni, Christian Steinkuhler, Charles Y. Lin, Steven R. Houser, Kathleen C. Woulfe, Maggie P. Y. Lam, Timothy A. McKinsey
Summary: The study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibition in reversing diastolic dysfunction and uncovers a new mechanism of cardiac fibrosis. The importance of evaluating cardiac fibrosis using diverse methodologies is highlighted through this research.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jagoda Kruszewska, Agnieszka Cudnoch-Jedrzejewska, Katarzyna Czarzasta
Summary: Obesity is a growing problem, affecting two-thirds of adults and increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Chronic obesity can also lead to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Excessive collagen deposition in the extracellular matrix during obesity can stiffen the myocardium and impair heart function. This review discusses the rationale and potential factors behind this process.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Victor Alfonso Solarte David, Viviana Raquel Guiza-Argueello, Martha L. Arango-Rodriguez, Claudia L. Sossa, Silvia M. Becerra-Bayona
Summary: The absence or damage of tissue is a major cause of diseases, and novel therapeutic alternatives aim to recover lost functions through tissue regeneration. Chronic cutaneous lesions are common wounds that require regenerative medicine and tissue engineering interventions to develop bioactive medical products for proper healing and prevention of complications. The coordination of cells, extracellular matrix (ECM), and biomolecules is crucial in tissue repair and regeneration, with ECM acting as a biological platform for their interactions. Tissue engineering utilizes synthetic polymers and decellularized tissues to mimic native ECM and provide necessary functionalities for cell differentiation.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)