Recent findings into the potential of gene therapy to reverse heart failure

The incidence of heart failure (HF) is ever growing and the mortality of HF patients is similar to patients suffering from cancer disease. The central clinical problem is a lack of therapies to target the underlying molecular defects that lead to chronic ventricular dysfunction. Substantial evidence points to a final common pathway in failing myocardium, including distinct changes in intracellular Ca²⁺-cycling and β-adrenergic receptor signaling. An attractive strategy to address these alterations is cardiac gene therapy and several distinct approaches have been undertaken during the last decade with impressing therapeutic benefit, at least in animal HF models. The present focus of research is the clinical translation of cardiac gene therapy including the optimization of vectors, delivery strategies and testing the compatibility with established pharmacologic treatment to improve the prognosis of HF in the near future.