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McKinsey TA, Foo R, Anene-Nzelu CG, Travers JG, Vagnozzi RJ, Weber N, Thum T. Emerging epigenetic therapies of cardiac fibrosis and remodelling in heart failure: from basic mechanisms to early clinical development. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 118:3482-3498. [PMID: 36004821 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvac142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases and specifically heart failure (HF) impact global health and impose a significant economic burden on society. Despite current advances in standard of care, the risks for death and readmission of HF patients remain unacceptably high and new therapeutic strategies to limit HF progression are highly sought. In disease settings, persistent mechanical or neurohormonal stress to the myocardium triggers maladaptive cardiac remodelling, which alters cardiac function and structure at both the molecular and cellular levels. The progression and magnitude of maladaptive cardiac remodelling ultimately leads to the development of HF. Classical therapies for HF are largely protein-based and mostly are targeted to ameliorate the dysregulation of neuroendocrine pathways and halt adverse remodelling. More recently, investigation of novel molecular targets and the application of cellular therapies, epigenetic modifications, and regulatory RNAs has uncovered promising new avenues to address HF. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on novel cellular and epigenetic therapies and focus on two non-coding RNA-based strategies that reached the phase of early clinical development to counteract cardiac remodelling and HF. The current status of the development of translating those novel therapies to clinical practice, limitations, and future perspectives are additionally discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy A McKinsey
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Roger Foo
- NUHS Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Heart Centre, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chukwuemeka George Anene-Nzelu
- NUHS Cardiovascular Disease Translational Research Programme, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Heart Centre, 14 Medical Drive, Level 8, 117599 Singapore, Singapore.,Montreal Heart Institute, 5000 Rue Belanger, H1T 1C8, Montreal, Canada
| | - Joshua G Travers
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Ronald J Vagnozzi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, and Consortium for Fibrosis Research & Translation, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Ave, Aurora, CO, 80045-2507, USA
| | - Natalie Weber
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Therapies, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Nikolai-Fuchs-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
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Gong C, Chang L, Sun X, Qi Y, Huang R, Chen K, Wang B, Kang L, Wang L, Xu B. Infusion of two-dose mesenchymal stem cells is more effective than a single dose in a dilated cardiomyopathy rat model by upregulating indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:409. [PMID: 35962420 PMCID: PMC9373305 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-03101-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims The therapeutic efficacy of single-dose mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy for heart failure (HF) remains inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate whether infusion with two-dose human umbilical cord MSC (hUCMSCs) could be therapeutically superior to single-dose therapy in a rat model of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and explored the underlying mechanisms. Methods Male Sprague–Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with doxorubicin (DOX) to establish a DCM model and randomized to intravenously receive single-dose or two-dose hUCMSCs at an interval of 14 days. Their left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions were analyzed by echocardiography. The percentages of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in the heart, spleen, lymph nodes, and peripheral blood and the levels of serum cytokines in individual rats were analyzed by flow cytometry and cytometric bead assay, respectively. The degrees of cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte apoptosis were examined by histology. The importance of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an activator of Treg differentiation, in the therapeutic effect of hUCMSCs on inflammation and heart function of rats was determined after induction of IDO over-expression (IDO-OE) using IFN-γ (1 ng/ml) and TNF-α (10 ng/ml) stimulation or silencing (IDO-KD) using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology. Results Compared with the single dose, two-dose hUCMSCs were more effective in improving LV performance, attenuating cardiac dilation, reducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac fibrosis. Two-dose hUCMSC therapy significantly increased Treg number in the heart and peripheral blood, accompanied by increased cardiac IDO expression. Compared with the control hUCMSCs, IDO-OE hUCMSCs significantly enhanced Treg and Th2 cell responses and decreased systemic Th17 cell responses and Th1 cell numbers in the mediastinal lymph nodes. Treatment with IDO-OE hUCMSCs significantly improved LV remodeling and dysfunction. However, treatment with IDO-KD hUCMSCs had opposite effects in rats. Conclusions Administration of two-dose hUCMSCs has better therapeutic effects than single-dose therapy for inhibiting myocardial inflammation to improve LV function in DCM rats. These effects are associated with upregulating IDO expression and its systemic anti-inflammatory activities. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-03101-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenyi Gong
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuan Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yu Qi
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Rong Huang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Ke Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Clinical Stem Cell Centor, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Lina Kang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Lian Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China. .,Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Biao Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Medical School of Nanjing University, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China. .,Department of Cardiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
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Weiß E, Ramos GC, Delgobo M. Myocardial-Treg Crosstalk: How to Tame a Wolf. Front Immunol 2022; 13:914033. [PMID: 35693830 PMCID: PMC9176752 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.914033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system plays a vital role in maintaining tissue integrity and organismal homeostasis. The sudden stress caused by myocardial infarction (MI) poses a significant challenge for the immune system: it must quickly substitute dead myocardial with fibrotic tissue while controlling overt inflammatory responses. In this review, we will discuss the central role of myocardial regulatory T-cells (Tregs) in orchestrating tissue repair processes and controlling local inflammation in the context of MI. We herein compile recent advances enabled by the use of transgenic mouse models with defined cardiac antigen specificity, explore whole-heart imaging techniques, outline clinical studies and summarize deep-phenotyping conducted by independent labs using single-cell transcriptomics and T-cell repertoire analysis. Furthermore, we point to multiple mechanisms and cell types targeted by Tregs in the infarcted heart, ranging from pro-fibrotic responses in mesenchymal cells to local immune modulation in myeloid and lymphoid lineages. We also discuss how both cardiac-specific and polyclonal Tregs participate in MI repair. In addition, we consider intriguing novel evidence on how the myocardial milieu takes control of potentially auto-aggressive local immune reactions by shaping myosin-specific T-cell development towards a regulatory phenotype. Finally, we examine the potential use of Treg manipulating drugs in the clinic after MI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Weiß
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gustavo Campos Ramos
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Murilo Delgobo
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Kazem N, Hofer F, Koller L, Hammer A, Hofbauer TM, Hengstenberg C, Niessner A, Sulzgruber P. The age-specific prognostic impact of the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on long-term outcome after acute coronary syndrome. EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL OPEN 2022; 2:oeab031. [PMID: 35919656 PMCID: PMC9242036 DOI: 10.1093/ehjopen/oeab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aims Personalized risk stratification within the ageing society after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains scarce but in urgent need. Increased platelet activity together with inflammatory activation play a key role during ACS. We aimed to evaluate the age-specific prognostic potential of the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on long-term cardiovascular mortality after ACS. Methods and results Patients presenting with ACS admitted to the Vienna General Hospital between December 1996 and January 2010 were enrolled within a clinical registry including assessment of peripheral blood samples. The impact of the PLR on survival was assessed by Cox-regression hazard analysis. We included a total of 681 patients with a median age of 64 years (interquartile range: 45–84). Two hundred (29.4%) individuals died during the median follow-up time of 8.5 years. A strong and independent association of the PLR with cardiovascular mortality was found in the total study population [adjusted (adj.) hazard ratio (HR) per 1 standard deviation (1 SD) of 1.07 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.03–1.10); P < 0.001]. After stratification in individuals <65 years (n = 339) and ≥65 years (n = 342), a prognostic effect of the PLR on cardiovascular mortality was solely observed in elderly patients ≥65 years [adj. HR per 1 SD of 1.04 (95% CI: 1.00–1.08); P = 0.039], but not in their younger counterparts <65 years [adj. HR per 1 SD of 0.97 (95% CI: 0.83–1.14); P = 0.901]. Conclusion The present investigation highlights a strong and independent age-specific association of the PLR with cardiovascular mortality in patients with ACS. The PLR only allows to identify patients ≥65 years at high risk for fatal events after ACS—even from a long-term perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niema Kazem
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Hofer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenz Koller
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hammer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas M Hofbauer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Hengstenberg
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Niessner
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Sulzgruber
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna , Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Lu Y, Xia N, Cheng X. Regulatory T Cells in Chronic Heart Failure. Front Immunol 2021; 12:732794. [PMID: 34630414 PMCID: PMC8493934 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.732794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heart failure is a global problem with high hospitalization and mortality rates. Inflammation and immune dysfunction are involved in this disease. Owing to their unique function, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have reacquired attention recently. They participate in immunoregulation and tissue repair in the pathophysiology of heart failure. Tregs are beneficial in heart by suppressing excessive inflammatory responses and promoting stable scar formation in the early stage of heart injury. However, in chronic heart failure, the phenotypes and functions of Tregs changed. They transformed into an antiangiogenic and profibrotic cell type. In this review, we summarized the functions of Tregs in the development of chronic heart failure first. Then, we focused on the interactions between Tregs and their target cells. The target cells of Tregs include immune cells (such as monocytes/macrophages, dendritic cells, T cells, and B cells) and parenchymal cells (such as cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells). Next-generation sequencing and gene editing technology make immunotherapy of heart failure possible. So, prospective therapeutic approaches based on Tregs in chronic heart failure had also been evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhi Lu
- Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy of the Ministry of Education, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ni Xia
- Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy of the Ministry of Education, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Key Laboratory of Biological Targeted Therapy of the Ministry of Education, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Kazem N, Hofer F, Koller L, Hammer A, Hengstenberg C, Niessner A, Sulzgruber P. The Age-Specific Impact of Cellular Immunity on Long-Term Outcome after Acute Coronary Syndrome. Thromb Haemost 2020; 121:1246-1254. [PMID: 33339058 DOI: 10.1055/a-1340-2055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Personalized risk stratification after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a challenging field in the aging society. Easily applicable strategies for risk prediction of adverse events from an age-specific perspective are needed. Considering the association of cellular immunity with coronary vessel disease, these cell lines mirror a reasonable value for risk assessment. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the prognostic value of cellular immunity on long-term outcome after ACS from an age-specific perspective. METHODS Patients presenting with ACS at the Vienna General Hospital admitted between December 1996 and January 2010 were enrolled within a clinical registry including standardized assessment of peripheral blood samples and immune phenotyping. Cox-regression hazards analysis was performed to elucidate the impact of cellular immunity on survival. RESULTS A total of 832 patients were included within the final analysis and stratified according to age into individuals <65 years (n = 416) and ≥65 years (n = 416). After a median follow-up time of 8.6 years, a total of 516 (62.0%) individuals died. We found that the fraction of lymphocytes (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] of 0.61 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.45-0.82]; p = 0.001), the fraction of neutrophil granulocytes (adjusted HR of 5.01 [95% CI: 1.62-15.46]; p = 0.005), and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; adjusted HR of 1.47 [95% CI: 1.16-1.87]; p = 0.002) showed a strong and independent association with mortality in individuals ≥65 years. Notably, there was no effect on outcome observed for any of the tested cell lines in patients <65 years. CONCLUSION The present investigation highlighted a strong and independent age-specific effect of both the fraction of neutrophil granulocytes and lymphocytes as well as the NLR on outcome. Considering an age-dependent risk stratification, these routinely available values can be easily used to identify patients at risk for fatal events and contribute to proper secondary prevention after ACS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niema Kazem
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Hofer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Lorenz Koller
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Hammer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Hengstenberg
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Niessner
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick Sulzgruber
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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