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Published on: June 14, 2016
A primer on current progress in cardiac fibrosis
Danah Al Hattab1,2, Michael P Czubryt1,2
1a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.
Insights
Cardiac fibrosis, a condition increasing heart stiffness and mortality in cardiovascular disease, lacks specific treatments. New research directions offer hope for novel therapies targeting fibrosis amelioration alongside existing treatments.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
- Biomedical Research
Background:
- Cardiac fibrosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular disease severity and patient mortality.
- It involves excessive extracellular matrix deposition, leading to myocardial stiffness and impaired heart function.
- Current cardiovascular disease treatments do not specifically address cardiac fibrosis, representing a significant clinical gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of cardiac fibrosis development.
- To discuss emerging research avenues for novel anti-fibrotic therapies.
- To highlight the need for treatments that complement existing cardiovascular disease management.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of current research on cardiac fibrosis.
- Analysis of emerging therapeutic strategies and research directions.
- Discussion of the pathological mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis.
Main Results:
- Cardiac fibrosis exacerbates conditions like myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes.
- Fibrosis impairs both systolic and diastolic heart function and promotes arrhythmias.
- Existing cardiovascular disease treatments do not target fibrosis directly.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac fibrosis is a critical pathological process and a risk factor in cardiovascular disease.
- There is an urgent need for specific treatments to ameliorate cardiac fibrosis.
- Emerging research offers potential for new therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Cardiac fibrosis is a significant global health problem that is closely associated with multiple forms of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction, dilated cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. Fibrosis increases myocardial wall stiffness due to excessive extracellular matrix deposition, causing impaired systolic and diastolic function, and facilitating arrhythmogenesis. As a result, patient morbidity and mortality are often dramatically elevated compared with those with cardiovascular disease but without overt fibrosis, demonstrating that fibrosis itself is both a pathologic response to existing disease and a significant risk factor for exacerbation of the underlying condition. The lack of any specific treatment for cardiac fibrosis in patients suffering from cardiovascular disease is a critical gap in our ability to care for these individuals. Here we provide an overview of the development of cardiac fibrosis, and discuss new research directions that have recently emerged and that may lead to the creation of novel treatments for patients with cardiovascular diseases. Such treatments would, ideally, complement existing therapy by specifically focusing on amelioration of fibrosis.
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