Spatial transcriptomics reveals novel genes during the remodelling of the embryonic human arterial valves

Calcific aortic stenosis: omics-based target discovery and therapy development

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) resulting in aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common form of valvular heart disease, affecting 2% of those over age 65. Those who develop symptomatic severe AS have an average further lifespan of <2 years without valve replacement, and three-quarters of these patients will develop heart failure, undergo valve replacement, or die within 5 years. There are no approved pharmaceutical therapies for AS, due primarily to a limited understanding of the molecular mechanisms that direct CAVD progression in the complex haemodynamic environment. Here, advances in efforts to understand the pathogenesis of CAVD and to identify putative drug targets derived from recent multi-omics studies [including (epi)genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics] of blood and valvular tissues are reviewed. The recent explosion of single-cell omics-based studies in CAVD and the pathobiological and potential drug discovery insights gained from the application of omics to this disease area are a primary focus. Lastly, the translation of knowledge gained in valvular pathobiology into clinical therapies is addressed, with a particular emphasis on treatment regimens that consider sex-specific, renal, and lipid-mediated contributors to CAVD, and ongoing Phase I/II/III trials aimed at the prevention/treatment of AS are described.

A Cross-talk between Nanomedicines and Cardiac Complications: Comprehensive View

Background:

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, necessitating innovative approaches for both therapeutics and diagnostics. Nanoscience has emerged as a promising frontier in addressing the complexities of CVDs.

Objective:

This study aims to explorethe interaction of CVDs and Nanomedicine (NMs), focusing on applications in therapeutics and diagnostics.

Observations:

In the realm of therapeutics, nanosized drug delivery systems exhibit unique advantages, such as enhanced drug bioavailability, targeted delivery, and controlled release. NMs platform, including liposomes, nanoparticles, and carriers, allows the precise drug targeting to the affected cardiovascular tissues with minimum adverse effects and maximum therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, nanomaterial (NM) enables the integration of multifunctional components, such as therapeutic agents and target ligands, into a single system for comprehensive CVD management. Diagnostic fronts of NMs offer innovative solutions for early detection and monitoring of CVDs. Nanoparticles and nanosensors enable highly sensitive and specific detection of Cardiac biomarkers, providing valuable insights into a disease state, its progression, therapeutic outputs, etc. Further, nano-based technology via imaging modalities offers high high-resolution imaging, aiding in the vascularization of cardiovascular structures and abnormalities. Nanotechnology-based imaging modalities offer high-resolution imaging and aid in the visualization of cardiovascular structures and abnormalities.

Conclusion:

The cross-talk of CVDs and NMs holds tremendous potential for revolutionizing cardiovascular healthcare by providing targeted and efficient therapeutic interventions, as well as sensitive and early detection for the improvement of patient health if integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

A Cross-talk between Nanomedicines and Cardiac Complications: Comprehensive View

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, necessitating innovative approaches for both therapeutics and diagnostics. Nanoscience has emerged as a promising frontier in addressing the complexities of CVDs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the interaction of CVDs and Nanomedicine (NMs), focusing on applications in therapeutics and diagnostics.

OBSERVATIONS

In the realm of therapeutics, nanosized drug delivery systems exhibit unique advantages, such as enhanced drug bioavailability, targeted delivery, and controlled release. NMs platform, including liposomes, nanoparticles, and carriers, allows the precise drug targeting to the affected cardiovascular tissues with minimum adverse effects and maximum therapeutic efficacy. Moreover, Nanomaterial (NM) enables the integration of multifunctional components, such as therapeutic agents and target ligands, into a single system for comprehensive CVD management. Diagnostic fronts of NMs offer innovative solutions for early detection and monitoring of CVDs. Nanoparticles and nanosensors enable highly sensitive and specific detection of Cardiac biomarkers, providing valuable insights into a disease state, its progression, therapeutic outputs, etc. Further, nano-based technology via imaging modalities offers high high-resolution imaging, aiding in the vascularization of cardiovascular structures and abnormalities. Nanotechnology-based imaging modalities offer high-resolution imaging and aid in the visualization of cardiovascular structures and abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

The cross-talk of CVDs and NMs holds tremendous potential for revolutionizing cardiovascular healthcare by providing targeted and efficient therapeutic interventions, as well as sensitive and early detection for the improvement of patient health if integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Spns1-dependent endocardial lysosomal function drives valve morphogenesis through Notch1-signaling

Autophagy-lysosomal degradation is a conserved homeostatic process considered to be crucial for cardiac morphogenesis. However, both its cell specificity and functional role during heart development remain unclear. Here, we introduced zebrafish models to visualize autophagic vesicles in vivo and track their temporal and cellular localization in the larval heart. We observed a significant accumulation of autolysosomal and lysosomal vesicles in the atrioventricular and bulboventricular regions and their respective valves. We addressed the role of lysosomal degradation based on the Spinster homolog 1 (spns1) mutant (not really started, nrs). n rs larvae displayed morphological and functional cardiac defects, including abnormal endocardial organization, impaired valve formation and retrograde blood flow. Single-nuclear transcriptome analyses revealed endocardial-specific differences in lysosome-related genes and alterations of notch1-signalling. Endocardial-specific overexpression of spns1 and notch1 rescued features of valve formation and function. Altogether, our results reveal a cell-autonomous role of lysosomal processing during cardiac valve formation affecting notch1-signalling.

Beyond genomic studies of congenital heart defects through systematic modelling and phenotyping

Congenital heart defects (CHDs), the most common congenital anomalies, are considered to have a significant genetic component. However, despite considerable efforts to identify pathogenic genes in patients with CHDs, few gene variants have been proven as causal. The complexity of the genetic architecture underlying human CHDs likely contributes to this poor genetic discovery rate. However, several other factors are likely to contribute. For example, the level of patient phenotyping required for clinical care may be insufficient for research studies focused on mechanistic discovery. Although several hundred mouse gene knockouts have been described with CHDs, these are generally not phenotyped and described in the same way as CHDs in patients, and thus are not readily comparable. Moreover, most patients with CHDs carry variants of uncertain significance of crucial cardiac genes, further complicating comparisons between humans and mouse mutants. In spite of major advances in cardiac developmental biology over the past 25 years, these advances have not been well communicated to geneticists and cardiologists. As a consequence, the latest data from developmental biology are not always used in the design and interpretation of studies aimed at discovering the genetic causes of CHDs. In this Special Article, while considering other in vitro and in vivo models, we create a coherent framework for accurately modelling and phenotyping human CHDs in mice, thereby enhancing the translation of genetic and genomic studies into the causes of CHDs in patients.

Early heart development: examining the dynamics of function-form emergence

During early embryonic development, the heart undergoes a remarkable and complex transformation, acquiring its iconic four-chamber structure whilst concomitantly contracting to maintain its essential function. The emergence of cardiac form and function involves intricate interplays between molecular, cellular, and biomechanical events, unfolding with precision in both space and time. The dynamic morphological remodelling of the developing heart renders it particularly vulnerable to congenital defects, with heart malformations being the most common type of congenital birth defect (∼35% of all congenital birth defects). This mini-review aims to give an overview of the morphogenetic processes which govern early heart formation as well as the dynamics and mechanisms of early cardiac function. Moreover, we aim to highlight some of the interplay between these two processes and discuss how recent findings and emerging techniques/models offer promising avenues for future exploration. In summary, the developing heart is an exciting model to gain fundamental insight into the dynamic relationship between form and function, which will augment our understanding of cardiac congenital defects and provide a blueprint for potential therapeutic strategies to treat disease.