title: A primer on current progress in cardiac fibrosis.
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.
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.|b Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Danah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Al Hattab
authors.affiliation: a Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, 351 Tache Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.|b Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R2H 2A6, Canada.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Czubryt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling
keywords: cardiac fibrosis; extracellular matrix; fibroblast; fibroblaste; fibrose cardiaque; fibrosis therapy; matrice extracellulaire; myofibroblast; myofibroblaste; traitement de la fibrose