Cardiology articles from across Nature Portfolio

Drug targets that are supported by human genetics are more likely to lead to approved therapies. Research now identifies several promising drug targets and therapeutic repurposing opportunities for heart failure and its clinical sub-types.

An extensive molecular characterization of 150 human thoracic aorta specimens followed by genetic association studies and preclinical work in mice implicates the mitochondrial NAD⁺ transporter SLC25A51 in the pathogenesis of aortic disease.

We established a mouse model of progressive aortic aneurysm induced by conditional Notch1 deficiency in vascular smooth muscle cells. Notch1 deficiency impairs the transcription of genes involved in mitochondrial fusion and biogenesis, thereby triggering aortic pathology. Early intervention to enhance these mitochondrial processes could potentially slow disease progression.

Combining human proteome and transcriptome analyses and Mendelian randomization on a large genetic dataset of HFpEF and HFrEF cases, Rasooly et al. identified 58 potential therapeutic targets specific for either HEpEF or HFrEF and created their therapeutic target profiles.

The association between triglyceride (TG) and mortality remains controversial in individuals with heart failure (HF). Here the authors show a U-shaped association where high TG levels are associated with ASCVD-related admission or death and lower TG levels are associated with HF-related readmission or death.

Moreno-Loaiza et al. found that interleukin-1β, acting upon cardiac resident macrophages, promotes atrial fibrillation in mice, and this mechanism may represent a common pathway connecting various risk factors to this arrhythmia.

Nahlawi, Ptaszek and Ruskin review the implications of classic psychedelic use on the cardiovascular system and highlight their safety profiles and potential concerns to accompany their growing use in the clinic.

Drug targets that are supported by human genetics are more likely to lead to approved therapies. Research now identifies several promising drug targets and therapeutic repurposing opportunities for heart failure and its clinical sub-types.

In this Clinical Outlook, we describe available multiomic studies in cardiovascular medicine, discuss the advantages and potential of multiomic techniques for clinical translation in cardiology, and highlight three promising aspects: the generation of unprecedented cellular atlases, the identification of composite diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers derived from integrative multiomic signatures, and the isolation of potential therapeutic targets from unbiased comprehensive datasets and analyses.

Inflammation is a new therapeutic target for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Colchicine is a potential cheap option to target inflammation and prevent atherosclerotic plaque destabilization. We discuss major clinical trials and guidelines on the use of colchicine in patients with coronary syndromes, especially acute coronary syndromes, in whom results have been conflicting.

Low-dose colchicine is the only anti-inflammatory drug approved for secondary prevention of coronary disease. The CLEAR-SYNGERY trial of colchicine in acute myocardial infarction challenges the results of previous colchicine trials; however, clinicians should be aware of how its design and the COVID-19 pandemic affected the trial outcome.