Elena McMullan, Darukeshwara Joladarashi, Raj Kishore
{"title":"Unpacking Exosomes: A Therapeutic Frontier for Cardiac Repair.","authors":"Elena McMullan, Darukeshwara Joladarashi, Raj Kishore","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02225-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02225-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The rising global prevalence of cardiovascular disease is driving the need for innovative biotherapeutics. Recently, exosomes-extracellular vesicles involved in paracrine signaling have shown promise in aiding heart repair associated with cardiovascular conditions. Their therapeutic potential encompasses several beneficial mechanisms, including anti-fibrosis, anti-inflammation, pro-angiogenesis, anti-oxidation, and anti-apoptosis, all contributing to improved cardiac function. This review provides a comprehensive overview of exosomes and highlights the latest research on their effectiveness in addressing current challenges in regenerative cardiac medicine.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Current approaches revolve around elucidating and enhancing how different cell types, cargo, and delivery methods impact healing in a pathological cardiovascular environment. The emerging field of therapeutic exosome research is promising for cardiac regeneration due to the beneficial effects of exosomal cargo. The expansion of mechanistic knowledge and the optimization of techniques are required before standard clinical application.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"73"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11925971/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Linqi Jin, Boeun Hwang, Sarah Rezapourdamanab, Vani Sridhar, Roshni Nandwani, Mehdi Salar Amoli, Vahid Serpooshan
{"title":"Bioengineering Approaches to In Vitro Modeling of Genetic and Acquired Cardiac Diseases.","authors":"Linqi Jin, Boeun Hwang, Sarah Rezapourdamanab, Vani Sridhar, Roshni Nandwani, Mehdi Salar Amoli, Vahid Serpooshan","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02218-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02218-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review aims to explore recent advancements in bioengineering approaches used in developing and testing in vitro cardiac disease models. It seeks to find out how these tools can address the limitations of traditional in vitro models and be applied to improve our understanding of cardiac disease mechanisms, facilitate preclinical drug screening, and equip the development of personalized therapeutics.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Human induced pluripotent stem cells have enabled the generation of diverse cardiac cell types and patient-specific models. Techniques like 3D tissue engineering, heart-on-a-chip platforms, biomechanical conditioning, and CRISPR-based gene editing have enabled faithful recreation of complex cardiac microenvironments and disease conditions. These models have advanced the study of both genetic and acquired cardiac disorders. Bioengineered in vitro models are transforming the basic science and clinical research in cardiovascular disease by improving the biomimicry and complexity of tissue analogues, increasing throughput and reproducibility of screening platforms, as well as offering patient and disease specificity. Despite challenges in scalability and functional maturity, integrating multiple bioengineering techniques with advanced analytical tools in in vitro modeling platforms holds promise for future precision and personalized medicine and therapeutic innovations.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"72"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11926001/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143669330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chieh-Ju Chao, Sushil Allen Luis, Reza Arsanjani, Jae K Oh
{"title":"Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Constrictive Pericarditis: A Short Literature Review.","authors":"Chieh-Ju Chao, Sushil Allen Luis, Reza Arsanjani, Jae K Oh","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02222-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-025-02222-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Constrictive pericarditis (CP) is a potentially curable condition characterized by the thickening, scarring, and calcification of the pericardium. A comprehensive approach, including clinical evaluations and imaging techniques such as echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, is essential for timely diagnosis and intervention to prevent chronic complications and enhance patient outcomes. However, the rarity of CP and the specialized expertise required present challenges in diagnosis.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Emerging artificial intelligence applications show promise in enhancing clinical decision-making and improving outcomes. Studies utilizing cognitive machine learning and deep learning algorithms (ResNet50) achieved an AUC above 0.95 in distinguishing CP from restrictive cardiomyopathy. However, generalization and interpretability issues remain, and the development of AI applications for CP is still nascent due to challenges in obtaining large, high-quality echocardiographic datasets. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of these models in diverse clinical scenarios, employing comprehensive echocardiography, point-of-care ultrasound, and other modalities to improve CP detection, individualized risk assessment, and treatment planning, ultimately enhancing patient prognosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"70"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143604056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mary Heine, Ankit Agrawal, Emma Wensink, Tom Kai Ming Wang, Allan Klein
{"title":"The Role of the Advanced Practice Provider in a Pericardial Center of Excellence.","authors":"Mary Heine, Ankit Agrawal, Emma Wensink, Tom Kai Ming Wang, Allan Klein","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02205-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02205-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Pericarditis can be a chronic and complex disease requiring years of treatment. These patients require close monitoring of labs, medications and their side effects, as well as virtual and inpatient follow up. Due to the complexity of this disease, many of these patients are treated for months and sometimes years. Our review highlights the role Advanced practice providers (APP) play in managing the complexity of these patients by providing efficient and quality care.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Multi-modality cardiac imaging is the cornerstone to the evaluation and treatment of pericardial diseases. The addition of Interleukin (IL-1) blockers or biologics (Rilonacept, Anakinra) in the last few years provides targeted therapy for these patients. Using imaging guided therapy (IGT) these complex patients require close, continuous follow up and monitoring as well as frequent medication titration. The outcomes for these pericardial patients are improved with these centers due to the specialized medical and surgical care. Advanced Practice Providers play a vital role in a pericardial center with ordering the appropriate imaging and labs, handling medication titration, and providing patient education and continuity of care for these patients. They have been shown to decrease mortality, increase quality of care, and increase medication adherence.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"69"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11893689/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143596581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Coronary Inflammation and Cardiovascular Events in Patients Without Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease.","authors":"Jia Ling Diau, Richard A Lange","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02221-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02221-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review evaluates the role of vascular inflammation in patients who develop myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA). It also introduces pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) as possible biomarkers for risk prediction in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD).</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>PCAT and EAT contribute to the development and progression of coronary artery inflammation and plaque vulnerability. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) can detect localized areas of inflammation through changes in the attenuation values of PCAT and EAT. Attenuation values can be further integrated with traditional risk factors using artificial intelligence to generate risk scores that significantly enhance prognostic accuracy in patients with and without obstructive coronary artery disease. Assessing PCAT and EAT inflammation via CCTA and AI-driven risk algorithms enable precise risk prediction of MINOCA and major adverse coronary events (MACE) in patients with non-obstructive CAD.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"68"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11889004/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abdullah Khan, Ahmed A Sorour, George E Anton, Sean P Lyden, Lee Kirksey
{"title":"Venous Insufficiency: Endovascular and Surgical Treatment.","authors":"Abdullah Khan, Ahmed A Sorour, George E Anton, Sean P Lyden, Lee Kirksey","doi":"10.1007/s11886-024-02155-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-024-02155-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Venous insufficiency (VI) is a is a common and debilitating disease that can present with a wide range of manifestations ranging from telangiectasias to venous ulceration. The chapter explores various endovascular and open-surgical modalities used for VI, their technique, patient selection, outcomes, complications, and comparison with other modalities.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>The use of non-thermal and non-tumescent ablation techniques are found to have a better quality of life scores; however, the primary closure rates are inferior to thermal ablation techniques. A wide range of treatment modalities are available, ranging from conservative management, endovascular techniques and open-surgical options. Each intervention has its unique benefits, limitations, and potential complications. The management approach for VI is not one-fits-all, and must be meticulously tailored to each patient, carefully considering their disease severity, anatomy, quality of life, and expectations, for an effective treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"67"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11885322/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143566439","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gracia Fahed, Briana N Collins, Nixuan Cai, John Isaiah Jimenez, Hiroki Kitakata, Jesus E Pino Moreno, Kevin M Alexander
{"title":"Race, Genetics, and Social Determinants of Health in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Literature Review and Call to Action.","authors":"Gracia Fahed, Briana N Collins, Nixuan Cai, John Isaiah Jimenez, Hiroki Kitakata, Jesus E Pino Moreno, Kevin M Alexander","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02220-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-025-02220-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Recent evidence suggests that transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) is significantly more common than once believed, yet it remains frequently under- and mis-diagnosed. With effective treatments now available, early and accurate diagnosis has become critical for better patient outcomes. Understanding the interplay between genetics, race, and social determinants of health (SDOH) in influencing both ATTR-CM diagnosis and management is essential for bridging the current gaps.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Our analysis reveals multiple barriers affecting ATTR-CM care. Specifically, we discuss how clinician awareness, regional differences in clinical practice, and limited access to health care and specialty centers contribute to diagnostic delays. Additionally, we identify several management obstacles, such as inadequate diversity in clinical trials, high cost of available treatments, and limited ancillary resources. We examine these challenges in detail and provide practical solutions to address them. While disparities in heart failure outcomes have been well-documented, those specific to ATTR-CM remain underrepresented in the literature. This review establishes a structured approach to understanding how biological, structural and SDOH-related disparities impact ATTR-CM diagnosis and management while offering concrete strategies to overcome these challenges. We emphasize the need for enhanced SDOH identification and advocate for coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts to improve ATTR-CM patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"66"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143556194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shubh Desai, Moez Karim Aziz, Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, Mehmet Cilingiroglu, Cezar Iliescu, Leslie A Ynalvez
{"title":"Management of Stable Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Coronary Syndrome in Patients with Cancer.","authors":"Shubh Desai, Moez Karim Aziz, Konstantinos Marmagkiolis, Mehmet Cilingiroglu, Cezar Iliescu, Leslie A Ynalvez","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02214-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02214-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>This review examines the current evidence and management strategies for stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in patients with cancer. We outline the unique challenges, optimal treatment approaches, and outcomes in this growing population.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>First-line medications for CAD management are consistently underutilized in cancer patients despite serving as standard of care. As a corollary, medical optimization in CAD management in general is less likely to occur in patients with cancer. Early invasive strategies in ACS show improved survival, yet cancer patients receive percutaneous coronary intervention less frequently than non-cancer patients. Optimization of medical management should be prioritized in stable CAD; revascularization with PCI is first line for most patients presenting with ACS. Modification of risk factors contributing to both CAD and cancer is of utmost importance. Cancer survivors should receive vigilant, long-term monitoring for the development of signs of CAD.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143540350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashley Pender, Jessica Lewis-Owona, Abdulmojeed Ekiyoyo, Marcus Stoddard
{"title":"Echocardiography and Heart Failure: An Echocardiographic Decision Aid for the Diagnosis and Management of Cardiomyopathies.","authors":"Ashley Pender, Jessica Lewis-Owona, Abdulmojeed Ekiyoyo, Marcus Stoddard","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02194-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s11886-025-02194-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>The purpose of this review is to highlight the utility of echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of cardiomyopathies.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Echocardiographic parameters function synergistically to guide decision-making ranging from early detection of disease and screening to risk stratification of complex disease. The collective wealth of information available from 2D/3D assessment, Doppler, diastology and strain makes echocardiography an invaluable decision aid.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11870920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143522878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ololade Akingbade, Elizabeth Cabrera, Varun Subashchandran, Ryan Yang, Neal Shah, Hena Patel, Jeremy A Slivnick
{"title":"Sociodemographic Disparities in Obtaining Cardiac MRI: Black, White, and Shades of Gray.","authors":"Ololade Akingbade, Elizabeth Cabrera, Varun Subashchandran, Ryan Yang, Neal Shah, Hena Patel, Jeremy A Slivnick","doi":"10.1007/s11886-025-02219-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-025-02219-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Despite growing recommendations for CMR utilization in heart disease evaluation, access remains limited by geography and socioeconomic status. In this review we discuss the role of CMR in addressing health disparities, review barriers to CMR access, and finally propose solutions to increasing CMR testing globally and in the U.S.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>CMR testing is higher prevalence in academic and urban centers in the Northeast and Midwest and remains sparser in Southern and rural areas which face a high burden of cardiovascular mortality. Globally, CMR is also limited in low- and middle-income countries. Barriers to CMR access include bias in physician referrals based on race, patient income, insurance status, language barriers, health literacy, and disparities in the multimodal cardiovascular imaging workforce. A multimodal approach involving policy makers, hospital systems, cardiologists, and health care personnel is essential to improving national and global barriers to accessing CMR.</p>","PeriodicalId":10829,"journal":{"name":"Current Cardiology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"62"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143514995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}