Investigators from Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Medical University of Vienna and Cleveland Clinic recently reported data on the effects of the matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) inhibitor FP-020 in a mouse model of cardiac sarcoidosis in which chronic activation of mTORC1 signaling in myeloid cells causes spontaneous cardiac sarcoid-like granulomas.
Over the past decade there has been much research into the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as a cell therapy to regenerate tissue and treat heart disease. Now, one researcher has narrowed the focus down to treating heart disease not with whole cells, but with mitochondria derived from iPSCs. Gentaro Ikeda, a researcher at the Department of Medicine at Stanford University, has worked on generating extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing mitochondria from pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and administering these to restore the functionality of the myocardium in a porcine model of an infarct.
Novartis AG has synthesized naphthyridinone derivatives acting as K(ir) 3.1/3.4 (GIRK1/4; KCNJ3/5) IKACh channel blockers reported to be useful for the treatment of bradyrhythmic arrhythmia, bradycardia, atrial fibrillation, heart block, hypotension, primary aldosteronism, sick sinus syndrome and vasovagal syncope, among others.
Verve Therapeutics Inc. has entered into an exclusive research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co. focused on advancing Verve’s preclinical stage in vivo gene editing program targeting lipoprotein(a) (Lp[a]), a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), ischemic stroke, thrombosis and aortic stenosis.
In recent work, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine applied a drug repurposing approach to identify candidates that could target inflammation in atherosclerosis.
Thryv Therapeutics Inc. has announced the closing of a $5 million convertible note investment, the proceeds of which will be used to accelerate development of its pipeline, including preclinical programs in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and atrial fibrillation.
Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) activation plays a crucial role in the development of several vascular diseases, including intimal hyperplasia indicative of restenosis. Fragile X-related protein 1 (FXR1) is a muscle-enhanced RNA binding protein that has been proposed to regulate inflammation negatively and is overexpressed in injured arteries. However, the role of FXR1 in vascular disease remains unclear.
Research led by the Hubrecht Institute and the University Medical Center Utrecht has uncovered a key molecular mechanism that helps control heart regeneration in zebrafish. A protein known as leucine-rich repeat-containing 10 (LRRC10) acts as a switch to stop uncontrolled proliferation of cardiomyocyte cells when regeneration is complete. As reported in the May 18, 2023, issue of Science, lead author Jeroen Bakkers and colleagues found that the LRRC10 pathway was conserved in mouse and human cells.
There is a need regarding cardiovascular disease and heart failure for a therapy that reverses the progression of ventricular dysfunction. Previous findings have shown that cardiomyocytes during cardiac dysfunction show an accelerated telomere shortening, thus leading to DNA damage.
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a devastating inherited disorder characterized by massive cardiomyocyte loss, fibrofatty infiltration and ventricular arrhythmias, among others. Most known genetic causes of ACM involve the gene PKP2, which encodes plakophilin-2. An unmet medical need exists regarding therapies that correct this PKP2 deficiency.
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