Advances in Cardiomyocyte and Stem Cell Biology in Heart Disease

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409). This special issue belongs to the section "Cells of the Cardiovascular System".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 745

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Surgical Sciences, Department of Surgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
Interests: muscle physiology; ion channels; protein therapeutics; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, necessitating the continuous exploration of innovative therapeutic approaches. Cardiomyocytes, as the fundamental contractile units of the heart, and stem cells, with their regenerative potential, have emerged as pivotal areas of study in understanding and addressing cardiac pathophysiology. This Special Issue will focus on the latest breakthroughs in cardiomyocyte biology and stem cell research, providing a platform to discuss advances in molecular mechanisms, regenerative strategies, and translational applications.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and that highlight novel insights into cardiomyocyte function, the role of ion channels, protein therapeutics, and advancements in regenerative medicine. By bridging fundamental biology and clinical potential, this collection of papers will accelerate the development of effective treatments for heart disease. Contributions on innovative cell-based therapies, bioengineering approaches, and emerging biophysical tools are especially encouraged.

Dr. Ki Ho Park
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiomyocytes
  • stem cells
  • heart disease
  • regenerative medicine
  • ion channels
  • protein therapeutics
  • bioengineering
  • molecular biology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 2028 KiB  
Article
Dual Roles of Plasma miRNAs in Myocardial Injuries After Polytrauma: miR-122-5p and miR-885-5p Reflect Inflammatory Response, While miR-499a-5p and miR-194-5p Contribute to Cardiomyocyte Damage
by Jiaoyan Han, Liudmila Leppik, Larissa Sztulman, Roberta De Rosa, Victoria Pfeiffer, Lewin-Caspar Busse, Elena Kontaxi, Elisabeth Adam, Dirk Henrich, Ingo Marzi and Birte Weber
Cells 2025, 14(4), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14040300 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 605
Abstract
Cardiac injury after severe trauma is associated with higher mortality in polytrauma patients. Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs play a key role in cardiac pathophysiology and could serve as potential markers of cardiac damage after polytrauma. To explore this hypothesis, plasma miRNA profiles [...] Read more.
Cardiac injury after severe trauma is associated with higher mortality in polytrauma patients. Recent evidence suggests that miRNAs play a key role in cardiac pathophysiology and could serve as potential markers of cardiac damage after polytrauma. To explore this hypothesis, plasma miRNA profiles from polytrauma patients (ISS ≥ 16) with and without cardiac injury, stratified by troponin T levels (TnT, > 50 pg/mL vs. < 12 pg/mL), were analysed using NGS and validated via RT-qPCR. Five miRNAs (miR-122-5p, miR-424-5p, miR-885-5p, miR-194-5p, and miR-499a-5p) were found to be significantly upregulated in polytrauma patients with elevated TnT levels. miR-122-5p was associated with markers of right ventricular dysfunction (TAPSE) and left ventricular hypertrophy (IVS/LVPW), while miR-885-5p correlated with left ventricular hypertrophy (IVS/LVPW) and diastolic dysfunction (E/E’ ratio). In vitro, miR-194-5p mimic and miR-499a-5p mimic exhibited more active roles in cardiomyocyte injury by increasing caspase-3/7 activity and/or enhancing caspase-1 activity. Notably, the miR-194-5p mimic significantly enhanced the cytotoxic effects of the polytrauma cocktail, while miR-499a-5p boosted effects of LPS/nigericin stimulation in cardiomyocytes. Our findings identify miR-122-5p and miR-885-5p as potential biomarkers reflecting the cardiomyocyte response to polytrauma-induced inflammation, while miR-499a-5p and miR-194-5p appear to play a direct role in myocardial injury after polytrauma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Cardiomyocyte and Stem Cell Biology in Heart Disease)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop