Azin Kheirkhah, Silvia Di Maio, Stefan Coassin, Sebastian Schönherr, Claudia Lamina, Lukas Forer, Florian Kronenberg, Johanna F Schachtl-Riess
{"title":"Mendelian Randomization Reveals Interleukin-6 Receptor-Lipoprotein(a) Interplay With Independent Cardiovascular Risk Reductions.","authors":"Azin Kheirkhah, Silvia Di Maio, Stefan Coassin, Sebastian Schönherr, Claudia Lamina, Lukas Forer, Florian Kronenberg, Johanna F Schachtl-Riess","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101564","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101564","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the study at hand, 2-sample Mendelian randomization supported a causal effect of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) signaling on Lp(a) concentrations, revealing a direct interplay between 2 causal risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Importantly, epidemiological analyses in UK Biobank showed that neglecting the IL-6R functional state can confound the association between IL-6 levels and Lp(a). However, the effect of circulating IL-6 on Lp(a) concentrations was modest even when the functional state of the receptor was considered. In line, factorial Mendelian randomization indicated that down-regulation of IL-6R signaling and Lp(a) independently reduce CVD risk, highlighting complementary opportunities for CVD risk mitigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":" ","pages":"101564"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147838145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liming Chen PhD , Xuan Li PhD , Xiaolei Sun PhD , Xiaolin Wang PhD , Jian Wu PhD , Enyong Su PhD , Shijun Wang PhD , Huan Sun MD, PhD , Leilei Ma PhD , Yunzeng Zou MD, PhD
{"title":"Systems Biology Identifies TARS2 as a Cardiomyocyte Regulator of Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress in Dilated Cardiomyopathy","authors":"Liming Chen PhD , Xuan Li PhD , Xiaolei Sun PhD , Xiaolin Wang PhD , Jian Wu PhD , Enyong Su PhD , Shijun Wang PhD , Huan Sun MD, PhD , Leilei Ma PhD , Yunzeng Zou MD, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101535","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101535","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a leading cause of heart failure, is characterized by progressive cardiomyocyte (CM) loss and mitochondrial dysfunction; yet, the molecular drivers of mitochondrial oxidative stress (MitOS) remain unclear. By integrating bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics with machine learning, we identified threonyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (TARS2) as a CM-enriched regulator of MitOS. TARS2 was consistently up-regulated in human DCM hearts and associated with apoptotic signaling and enhanced macrophage crosstalk. Functional studies demonstrated that TARS2 overexpression disrupted mitochondrial homeostasis, triggered excessive mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and induced CM apoptosis, whereas genetic inhibition restored mitochondrial function, reduced apoptosis, and improved cardiac performance. These findings uncover TARS2 as a novel regulator of mitochondrial dysfunction and pathological remodeling in DCM, providing both mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications, and establish a systems biology framework for translational discovery of disease targets in cardiovascular medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 5","pages":"Article 101535"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147772026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuan-Nan Lin MD , Jing Xu MD , Yi-Hao Wu MD , Mao-Xiang Jin MD , Yu-Tian Wang MD , Yu-Qing Wu MD , Hao-Hua Zhan MD , Xin-Ge Qian MD , Zhe-Ning Wang MD , Lei-Wang MD , Yue-Chun Li MD
{"title":"Cardiomyocyte-Derived Apelin Rescues Viral Myocarditis-Induced Cardiac Lymphatic Dysfunction and Remodeling","authors":"Yuan-Nan Lin MD , Jing Xu MD , Yi-Hao Wu MD , Mao-Xiang Jin MD , Yu-Tian Wang MD , Yu-Qing Wu MD , Hao-Hua Zhan MD , Xin-Ge Qian MD , Zhe-Ning Wang MD , Lei-Wang MD , Yue-Chun Li MD","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101537","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101537","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent research has indicated that cardiac lymphatic vessels (CLVs) serve as a direct drainage route into the mediastinal lymph nodes for inflammation resolution. However, the role of CLVs in coxsackievirus B3–induced acute viral myocarditis (AVMC) remains unknown. In this study, we found that AVMC in mice promoted pathological cardiac lymphangiogenesis while impairing CLV-mediated drainage, leading to heart inflammation and dysfunction. Overexpression of apelin in cardiomyocytes improved CLV integrity and promoted effective lymph drainage to decrease inflammatory responses and enhance cardiac function. In vitro studies revealed that apelin stabilizes lymphatic endothelial cadherin and zonula occludens 1 to enhance lymphatic function via the AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, pre-existing lymphatic defects induced by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 partially diminished the benefits of cardiomyocyte-derived apelin overexpression in AVMC. Taken together, these data indicate that functional CLVs restored by cardiomyocyte-derived apelin facilitate inflammation resolution and improve heart dysfunction in AVMC. Thus, CLV-based therapeutic strategies may serve as a novel approach for alleviating AVMC heart damage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 5","pages":"Article 101537"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147771871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura I Yousif, Aukje G Sijtema, Ymke Appels, Pieter F van den Berg, Joseph Pierre Aboumsallem, Olivier C Manintveld, Dirk J Duncker, Rudolf A de Boer, Wouter C Meijers
{"title":"PD-1/PD-L1 Signaling in Non-ICI Myocarditis.","authors":"Laura I Yousif, Aukje G Sijtema, Ymke Appels, Pieter F van den Berg, Joseph Pierre Aboumsallem, Olivier C Manintveld, Dirk J Duncker, Rudolf A de Boer, Wouter C Meijers","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101539","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101539","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-mediated myocarditis is a notorious complication of cancer treatment; however, the role of immune checkpoints in the heart during inflammation remains unknown. We investigated myocardial expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) in non-ICI myocarditis. We performed a cross-species single-cell/-nucleus RNA sequencing comparative analysis, including 3 different models of myocarditis in mice and human hearts, with in vitro validation in human cells. This provided compelling evidence that PD-1/PD-L1 signaling in both murine and human non-ICI myocarditis is inherent to the myocardial inflammatory response. Specifically, cardiac endothelial cells and fibroblasts exhibited robust and sustained PD-L1 up-regulation in myocarditis, while also coinciding temporally with peak PD-1 expression on T cells, which presents an important defense mechanism. Therefore, immune checkpoints have global importance in myocarditis and may serve as a therapeutic target.</p>","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":" ","pages":"101539"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723050","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Metabolic Reprogramming of Fibroblasts by Extracellular Vesicles","authors":"Yu Tian MS , Andrew A. Gibb PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101538","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 101538"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147771848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
John E. Hall PhD , Ana C.M. Omoto PhD , Michael E. Hall MD, MS
{"title":"Is Obesity a Major Driver of Primary Aldosteronism?","authors":"John E. Hall PhD , Ana C.M. Omoto PhD , Michael E. Hall MD, MS","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101541","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101541","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 101541"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147771845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Po-Yen Hsu MS , Wan-Hong Huang MS , Yi-Yun Lee BS , Robert Passier PhD , Szu-Chin Li MD, PhD , Chong-Lin Hong MD, PhD , Shih-Kai Hung MD, PhD , Hong-Yi Lin MD, PhD , Chun-Hung Lin MD , Chen-Yu Chien MD , Yi-Da Li MD, MS , Hsiang-Chun Lee MD, PhD , Laurent Désaubry PhD , Canan G. Nebigil PhD , Michael W.Y. Chan PhD
{"title":"Methylated PIH1D1 as a Heart-Specific Biomarker for Anthracycline-Induced Cardiac Remodeling in Breast Cancer Patients","authors":"Po-Yen Hsu MS , Wan-Hong Huang MS , Yi-Yun Lee BS , Robert Passier PhD , Szu-Chin Li MD, PhD , Chong-Lin Hong MD, PhD , Shih-Kai Hung MD, PhD , Hong-Yi Lin MD, PhD , Chun-Hung Lin MD , Chen-Yu Chien MD , Yi-Da Li MD, MS , Hsiang-Chun Lee MD, PhD , Laurent Désaubry PhD , Canan G. Nebigil PhD , Michael W.Y. Chan PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101510","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101510","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anthracyclines, key chemotherapy agents, pose cardiotoxicity risks. In a 3-year study of 89 breast cancer patients treated with doxorubicin or epirubicin, more than 50% showed reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and progressive ventricular dilation. Although troponin-I flagged acute damage, it failed to predict long-term remodeling. Using a human methylome atlas, researchers identified 33 heart-specific methylated CpG sites and validated methylated <em>PIH1D1</em> (m<em>PIH1D1</em>) as a novel biomarker. Elevated m<em>PIH1D1</em> levels strongly correlated with ventricular dilation but not left ventricular ejection fraction decline, indicating its sensitivity to early cardiac remodeling. m<em>PIH1D1</em> may complement troponin-I in risk assessment and cardiotoxicity management for patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 101510"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147387943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthias Nahrendorf MD, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: JACC: Basic to Translational Science)
{"title":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science 2025 Thomas Force Young Investigator Award Winner","authors":"Matthias Nahrendorf MD, PhD (Editor-in-Chief: JACC: Basic to Translational Science)","doi":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jacbts.2026.101529","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":14831,"journal":{"name":"JACC: Basic to Translational Science","volume":"11 4","pages":"Article 101529"},"PeriodicalIF":8.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147797881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}