Special Issue "Genetics of Mitochondria and Cardiovascular Disease"

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in genome sequencing and genetic testing help in understanding the genetic basis of multiple cardiac conditions, including arrhythmias that develop mainly due to channelopathies, ischemia, heart failure resulted from cardiomyopathies, myocardial infarction, ischemia reperfusion injury, lipid disorders, cardiac complications of neuromuscular conditions, and vascular disease. Mitohcondria serves as the power house of cells, occupying one third of cardiac cell volume, which emphasizes the high energy demand of the organ. In addition to the bioenergetics functions, mitochodnria plays a significant role in maintaining the homeostasis of cellular cations by regulating Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺ ions, which are critical for electrical activity and muscle contraction.

Mitochondrial DNA are susceptible to oxidative damage and can significantly contribute to the development and progression of different cardiovascular diseases by affecting cardiac energetics function or by acting as DAMP that further trigger inflammatory response. Unlike nuclear DNA damage, mitochondrial DNA damage cannot be effectively repaired. Acting as an epicentre for different cardio-protective signalling pathways, the dysfunction of mitochondria can impair the cardiac protective response and promote contractile dysfunction. This is complemented with an excessive production of free radicals via complex I and III during energy demand, and supply imbalance happens in different CVD especially in ischemic heart disease. The resulted radicals in turn damage the biomolecules leading to increased apoptosis, autophagy, and mitophagy. The co-existence of diseases like diabetes mellitus and hypertension can accelerate the deleterious cardiac events as well. Together with the technological advances especially in gene editing tools, investigations into mitochondria-targeting drugs and/or mitochondria replacement therapies are cautiously being pursued.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the importance of genetic alteration in different mitochondrial-encoded and nuclear-encoded genes that occur during the development of the diseases and possible future therapeutic approaches for the rescue of mitochondria dysfunction in different cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the present issue may shed light into the genetic and epigenetic regulation of gene and its function in different cardiovascular diseases, that pave the way for the development of diagnostic markers and therapeutic strategies. To progress in the knowledge of such intricate issues, contributions by experts in the field in the form of research papers and critical reviews are called for.

We look forward to your expert contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Cardiogenetics.

Dr. Gino A. Kurian
Dr. Nageswara Rao Dunna
Guest Editors

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• mitochondria
• heart
• heart failure
• mitochhondrial DNA
• atherosclerosis
• myocardial infarction
• myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury
• mitochondrial genetics