Contact: Rachel Cagan, rcagan@acc.org, 202-375-6395

WASHINGTON (Mar 02, 2016) -

The inaugural issue of JACC: Basic to Translational Science, a new journal from the American College of Cardiology containing original research and review articles pertaining to basic, translational science, publishes online today. This is the ACC’s first open-access journal.

Research highlights from the issue include:

Kinetics and Signal Activation Properties of Circulating Factor(s) from Healthy Volunteers Undergoing Remote Ischemic Preconditioning by Heike A. Hildebrandt, MD, et al.

• Pre-clinical and early phase clinical studies with remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) appeared promising; however, RIPC was not effective in phase III clinical trials. To improve the translation of RIPC into clinical practice, the kinetic properties and functional effects of humoral factors released after RIPC in humans were characterized ex vivo. Venous blood from 20 healthy volunteers was collected at baseline and 5 min, 30 min, 1 h, 6 h and daily from 1 to 7 days after RIPC. Plasma-dialysates were infused into Langendorff-perfused mouse hearts subjected to 20/120 min global ischemia/reperfusion.  Perfusion with dialysates obtained 5 min to 6 days after RIPC significantly reduced infarct size by ~ 50% when compared to perfusion with dialysates obtained at baseline prior to RIPC, and increased STAT3 phosphorylation beyond values obtained with baseline-dialysate.

“This research is important for two reasons,” said Douglas L. Mann, M.D., FACC, editor-in-chief of JACC: Basic to Translational Science. “First, the findings show that there is a circulating factor in humans that is responsible for cardioprotection following remote ischemic protection that is circulatingfor up to six days.  Second, the study suggests that there is a specific signal transduction pathway that is important for mediating cardioprotection.”

Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Promotes Tissue Remodeling, Arteriogenesis, and Perfusion in a Rat Hindlimb Ischemia Model by Jessica. L. Ungerleider, BS, et al.

• Although surgical and endovascular revascularization can be performed in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), 40% of patients with critical limb ischemia do not have a revascularization option. The efficacy of an injectable tissue specific skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel and a human umbilical cord-derived ECM hydrogel were examined in a rodent hindlimb ischemia model. Although both biomaterials increased tissue perfusion 35 days post-injection, likely through arteriogenesis, the skeletal muscle ECM hydrogel more closely matched healthy tissue morphology. Transcriptomic analysis indicates the skeletal muscle ECM hydrogel shifted the inflammatory response, decreased necrosis/apoptosis, and increased blood vessel and muscle development.
  • EDITORIAL COMMENT: Better Blood Flow Delivered: Extracellular Matrix-Derived Hydrogels for the Induction of Arteriogenesis in Peripheral Artery Disease? By Ralf A. Benndorf, MD

“These findings demonstrate that a decelluarized extracellular matrix injected into skeletal muscle that has decreased blood flow results in increased blood flow by stimulating the growth of new arteries in the injected muscle,” said Mann. “There are currently no therapies for peripheral arterial disease, so having an injectable treatment for peripheral arterial disease is a potentially very important and novel observation.”

Below is the rest of the line-up for the February issue:

• EDITORS PAGE: Introducing JACC: Basic to Translational Science: Why Now? by Douglas L. Mann, MD FACC, et al.
• Cardiosphere-Derived Cells Reverse Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) in Rats by Decreasing Fibrosis and Inflammation by Eduardo Marban, MD, PhD, et al.
• EDITORIAL COMMENT: Cell Therapy for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction by Barry A. Borlaug MD, et al.
• Telomerase Inhibition by Everolimus Suppresses Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Neointima Formation Through Epigenetic Gene Silencing by Jun Aono, MD, PhD, et al.
• The Role of the L-type Ca²⁺ Channel in Altered Metabolic Activity in a Murine Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Helena M. Viola PhD, et al.
• STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW: Point-of-Care Technologies for Precision Cardiovascular Care and Clinical Research: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Working Group by Kevin King, MD, PhD, et al.

The journal, which will publish bi-monthly, will serve as a forum for advancing the field of translational cardiovascular medicine, and as a platform for accelerating the translation of novel scientific discoveries into new therapies that improve clinical outcomes for patients affected with or at risk for cardiovascular disease. Thematic areas of interest include pre-clinical research; clinical trials; personalized medicine; novel drugs, devices and biologics; proteomics, genomics and metabolomics; and early-phase clinical trial methodology.

The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more information, visit acc.org.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which publishes peer-reviewed research on all aspects of cardiovascular disease, is the most widely read cardiovascular journal worldwide. JACC is ranked No. 1 among cardiovascular journals worldwide for its scientific impact.

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