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Published on: September 13, 2018
A growing role for the Hippo signaling pathway in the heart
1Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, MSB G-609, Newark, NJ, 07103-2714, USA.
Insights
The Hippo signaling pathway regulates heart cell survival and proliferation. Understanding this pathway offers therapeutic targets for heart disease and failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Molecular Signaling
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Heart disease causes significant global mortality and economic burden.
- Loss of cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction leads to heart failure.
- The heart has limited regenerative capacity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of the Hippo signaling pathway in cardiomyocyte survival and proliferation.
- To explore the impact of Hippo signaling on the stressed adult heart.
- To highlight therapeutic potential for heart regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Hippo signaling in the heart.
- Analysis of canonical and non-canonical Hippo pathway functions.
- Focus on cardiomyocyte proliferation and survival mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The Hippo pathway is conserved and regulates organ size.
- This pathway is critical for heart development, homeostasis, and response to injury.
- Hippo signaling influences cardiomyocyte proliferation and survival in the adult heart.
Conclusions:
- The Hippo pathway is a key regulator of cardiac cell fate.
- Targeting Hippo signaling presents a promising strategy for treating heart disease.
- Further research into Hippo signaling could unlock cardiac regenerative therapies.
Abstract:
Heart disease is a major cause of clinical morbidity and mortality, and a significant health and economic burden worldwide. The loss of functional cardiomyocytes, often a result of myocardial infarction, leads to impaired cardiac output and ultimately heart failure. Therefore, efforts to improve cardiomyocyte viability and stimulate cardiomyocyte proliferation remain attractive therapeutic goals. Originally identified in Drosophila, the Hippo signaling pathway is highly conserved from flies to humans and regulates organ size through modulation of both cell survival and proliferation. This is particularly relevant to the heart, an organ with limited regenerative ability. Recent work has demonstrated a critical role for this signaling cascade in determining heart development, homeostasis, injury and the potential for regeneration. Here we review the function of canonical and non-canonical Hippo signaling in cardiomyocytes, with a particular focus on proliferation and survival, and how this impacts the stressed adult heart.
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