Cardiomyopathy at the Sub-Cellular Level

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of JCDD is focused on “Cardiomyopathy at the Sub-Cellular Level”, encompassing the molecular mechanisms of pathological remodeling within cardiomyocytes that lead to mechanical and electrical perturbation of the heart. Critical cardiomyocyte structures and nano-domains effect efficient excitation-contraction coupling (e.g., T-tubules, diads, sarcomere) and intercellular action potential propagation (e.g., intercalated discs, gap junctions). Elegant genetic, biochemical, and imaging studies have revealed surprisingly dynamic regulation and turnover within such structures, rendering them subject to rapid alterations during stress and affecting their function. Population of cardiomyocyte subdomains with appropriate functional proteins is essential, with increasing studies finding that failure to deliver and/or maintain specific proteins within precise subcellular locations is a major cause of compromised cardiomyocyte function. Cellular regulatory hubs that have received substantial historical attention include altered gene expression at the transcriptional level and posttranslational modification of proteins. More recently, processes previously thought of as ‘constitutive’ such as post-transcriptional regulation at the point of protein translation and trafficking of de novo proteins within cardiomyocytes have been uncovered as highly dynamic and subject to pathological changes in diseased hearts. As our understanding grows, a clearer picture of the ‘healthy’ versus ‘diseased’ cardiomyocyte is emerging which, while complex, is unveiling new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Dr. James Smyth
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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.