title: Emerging therapeutic targets in chronic heart failure: part II.
abstract: Chronic heart failure is characterised by functional deficiencies of the myocardium. Structural abnormalities of the left ventricular wall occur in many cases as a consequence of myocardial infarction (MI). The overburdened postMI heart is characterised by an active reorganisation of the remaining myocardium. Increased expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases lead to altered composition and arrangement of the extracellular matrix, which is accompanied by eccentric hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes. The altered geometry of the heart muscle fosters biomechanical stress, driving the heart into a dead-end situation. Clearly, novel therapeutic concepts must be developed to reverse this process. Part II of the current review will focus on emerging therapeutic targets for small molecule therapeutics in the fields of cardiac remodelling and impaired survival of cardiomyocytes in the diseased heart. Finally, innovative therapeutic concepts for heart gene therapy and replacement options for destroyed post-MI myocardium using embryonic and adult stem cells are described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Research, MediGene AG, Martinsried, Germany.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roenicke
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leclair
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Szado
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirsch
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Stoss
authors.forename: Barbara T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Navé
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Henkel
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D064987:Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D015195:Drug Design; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D009124:Muscle Proteins