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Werner Mohl and coauthors present their Viewpoint examining pressure-controlled intermittent coronary sinus occlusion (PICSO). Here they postulate that PICSO should be introduced into the clinic as a valuable technique for activation of venous endothelium to initiate myocardial recovery and induce regeneration.
The immune system is instrumental in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Here, Jacob George examines the growing knowledge of the role of regulatory T cells in atherosclerosis development. This field of research holds great potential for future development of novel therapeutic modalities designed to attenuate atherosclerosis and stabilize vulnerable plaques.
Despite statin therapy, patients with diabetes still face a substantial residual cardiovascular risk. The need for additional therapies is, therefore, sorely needed. Here Staels et al. explore to what extent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonists, such as fibrates, can improve the lipid profile and associated risk markers.
SERCA2a is one of the most promising targets for the treatment of heart failure. Kawase and Hajjar examine mounting evidence demonstrating the beneficial effects associated with SERCA2a overexpression, and provide a balanced discussion of the risks associated with SERCA2a as a target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug which has been linked to the development of cardiovascular side-effects. Here, Azzam et al. describe a 42-year-old male with refractory schizophrenia who presented with severe dilated cardiomyopathy, which was thought to have been caused by clozapine therapy.
The custom microenvironment “vascular niche” is a potential therapeutic target for several pathophysiological conditions. Osteoblasts act as regulators of the hematopoietic stem cell niche, and activation of the parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor may increase the number of cells mobilized into the bloodstream. The authors demonstrate that PTH may enhance the efficiency of hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy in a recognized model of peripheral ischemia.
The time course of events after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) might influence the timing and duration of therapeutic interventions. In this paper the authors study the timing of death, reinfarction, stroke, and major bleeding within 6 months of ACS in 46,829 patients enrolled in the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE). Their data shows that the timing of events after ACS was affected by ST category and influenced by GRACE risk score within each electrocardiographic category of ACS. They recommend that risk stratification should, therefore, include multiple risk factors rather than ST shift alone.
