Circulating microRNA as promising biomarkers in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: can advanced cardiac magnetic resonance unlock new insights in research?

Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic cardiac disorder associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Current imaging and clinical markers are not fully sufficient in accurate diagnosis and patient risk stratification. Although known cardiac biomarkers in blood are used, they lack specificity for HCM and primarily stratify for death due to heart failure in overt cases. Non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNAs, have emerged as promising biomarkers due to their role in regulating gene expression in both healthy and pathological hearts. Circulating microRNA signatures may dynamically reflect the progression of HCM, offering potential utility in diagnosis and disease monitoring as well as inform biologic pathways for innovative therapeutic strategies. However, studying microRNAs in cardiovascular diseases is still in its early stages and poses many challenges. This review focuses on emerging research perspectives using advanced cardiac magnetic resonance techniques. We presume, that the search for circulating miR signatures associated with specific adverse myocardial features observed on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging - such as fibrosis, disarray, and microvascular disease - represents a promising direction in HCM research.