McNamara et al. show that ALPK3 is an M-band protein required for phosphorylation of sarcomeric proteins and components of the protein quality control apparatus. Further, the autophagy receptor sequestosome-1 requires ALPK3 activity for sarcomeric localization.

Ahmed et al. show that lysine demethylase 8 (Kdm8) maintains the homeostatic cardiac metabolism by repressing Tbx15, thus preventing dilated cardiomyopathy in mice. In humans, KDM8 was downregulated in hearts affected by dilated cardiomyopathy, and higher TBX15 expression correlated with the strongest downregulation of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins.

Warthi et al. generated an alpha 8 integrin-cre driver that enables gene targeting preferentially in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and showed in a proof-of-principle study, that using the Itga8-CreER^T2 knock-in mouse for selective ablation of the Srf gene caused vascular defects but not a lethal visceral myopathy observed in an SMC-specific Myh11-CreER^T2-driven Srf loss.

Mantri et al. used spatial transcriptomics and scRNA-seq combined with smFISH to characterize the pathogenesis of reovirus-induced myocarditis in neonatal mice. They report a key role for endothelial cells in modulating the inflammatory response to the virus and a role for cytotoxic T-cell-induced pyroptosis in the cardiac pathology.

Hong et al. provide three-dimensional morphologic and molecular atlases of the mouse and human nasal vasculature by combining immunofluorescence staining of whole-mounted nasal mucosal tissue with single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of isolated endothelial cells. The data show a complex network of venous sinusoids, embryologically derived from blood vessels but lined by endothelial cells expressing the lymphatic marker Prox1, which were regressed or compromised in mouse models of rhinitis and COVID-19 infection.

Hou, Laasmaa et al. establish a method to correlate ryanodine receptor (RyR) nanoscale localization and function in live cardiomyocytes, by using a knock-in mouse expressing a photoactivated label on RyR2 and combining photoactivated localization microscopy to visualize RyRs and high-speed imaging to visualize the Ca²⁺ sparks. The number of activated RyRs within a cluster is generally low in intact cardiomyocytes and it is increased by β-adrenergic stimulation, while heart failure induces disruption of the RyR clusters and increases Ca²⁺ traveling sparks.

Anisimov, Fang et al. report that in humans, genetic variants associated with higher TIE2 expression are predicted to confer a reduced risk of CAD; in mice, Tie2 expression in endothelial cells is atheroprotective, and in a subset of aortic fibroblasts, anti-inflammatory.

Tham and Bernardo et al. show that cardiomyocyte-specific knockout of estrogen receptor alpha induces increased adiposity and tissue metabolic alterations specifically in female mice, likely in part due to changes in the proteomic content of the heart-derived extracellular vesicles.

Shakked et al. highlight the importance of cardiomyocytes’ redifferentiation after dedifferentiation and proliferation in cardiac repair and show that redifferentiation depends on negative feedback signaling and LATS1/2 Hippo pathway activity. Cardiomyocyte redifferentiation not only promotes the restoration of cardiac function but also protects against future insult.

Ran et al. report that excess cardiovascular mortality in the United States during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the waves of COVID-19 deaths and was demographically diverse.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Mariona Graupera.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Anna Randi.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Rebekah Gundry.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Stefanie Dimmeler.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Cornelia Weyand.

During March 2023, Nature Cardiovascular Research celebrates the female scientists that published with us last year, by reporting a brief story of their scientific and life journey. As we celebrate these extraordinary women through their fascinating stories, we hope to inspire younger generations that are starting their own amazing journey in life sciences. Each scientist featured in this article series has received an identical set of five questions. Although their backgrounds and journeys are unique, there is a common thread in their narratives — they are all insatiably curious, their generosity is bottomless and their love for science is profound. Here, we present Sabine Steffens.