Extracellular Matrix in Heart Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as collagen, fibronectin, laminin, and proteoglycan, maintain cardiac structure and function by forming a complicated three-dimensional network. Cell–ECM interaction is also important for regulating the functions of cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes. An imbalance between the production and degradation of the ECM during the development and progression of heart disease is associated with pathological cardiac remodeling, including hypertrophy and fibrosis. Recently, it has been reported that matricellular proteins, a family of non-structural ECM proteins, and matricryptins/matrikines, bioactive fragments of ECM proteins, are involved in cardiac remodeling. In this Special Issue, we expect to gather novel knowledge that will lead to the discovery of drugs targeting the ECM and its fragments for heart disease.

Dr. Muneyoshi Okada
Guest Editor

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