title: Ca2+-sensitisers--a promising option to treat heart failure?
abstract: Because the number of transplants is still fewer than the number of patients waiting for a donor organ, new concepts of therapy are needed that allow patients to bridge the time gap until heart transplantation or even to improve symptoms while on treatment. Ca(2+)-sensitisers are agents that directly influence myofilaments and/or the cross-bridge-cycle. Depending on the molecular mechanisms underlying their action, Ca(2+)-sensitisers have been divided into three classes. While, a number of Ca(2+)-sensitising drugs have been described, currently only the Ca(2+)-sensitisers pimobendan and levosimendan are in clinical use. This review provides a survey on the molecular mechanisms and the therapeutic effectiveness of Ca(2+)-sensitisers for the treatment of human heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Muscle Research and Molecular Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Cologne, Cologne.
authors.forename: Klara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brixius
authors.forename: Heike Katharina
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.forename: Robert H G
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Schwinger
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077464:Simendan
chemical_list: D006835:Hydrazones; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan; C041648:pimobendan; D002118:Calcium