title: Serelaxin a novel treatment for acute heart failure.
abstract: Acute heart failure (AHF) represents a major healthcare burden with a high risk of in-hospital and post-discharge mortality, which remained almost unchanged in the last few decades, underscoring the need of new treatments. Relaxin is a naturally occurring human peptide initially identified as a reproductive hormone and has been shown to play a key role in the maternal hemodynamic and renal adjustments that accommodate pregnancy. Recently, the new molecule serelaxin, a recombinant form of the naturally occurring hormone relaxin has been studied in patients hospitalized for AHF. In addition to vasodilation, serelaxin has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and connective tissue regulating properties. In preclinical studies, it reduced both systemic and renal vascular resistance and, in the clinical trials Pre-RELAX-AHF and RELAX-AHF, it improved dyspnea and signs of congestion. In addition, serelaxin was associated with a reduction of 180-day mortality. The aim of this review is to summarize the pharmacological properties of serelaxin and the results of the preclinical and clinical studies.
authors: a Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Cardiology, Radiological Sciences, and Public Health, University and Civil Hospital of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors: Anna Isotta
authors: AI
authors: Castrini
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Carubelli
authors: Valentina
authors: V
authors: Lazzarini
authors: Ivano
authors: I
authors: Bonadei
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Lombardi
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Metra
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D017281:Cost of Illness; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012065:Relaxin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C577649:serelaxin protein, human; D012065:Relaxin
keywords: acute heart failure; heart failure; serelaxin; treatment; vasodilator