Human Ventricular Unloading Induces Cardiomyocyte Proliferation [1]
This study from the University of Texas Southwestern sought to analyze the effects of mechanical unloading during prolonged LVAD support on mitochondrial mass, DNA damage response (DDR), and cardiomyocyte proliferation. Ten matched human samples of LV myocardium were analyzed before and after mechanical circulatory support. Among its interesting findings, the study found that prolonged mechanical unloading induces adult human cardiomyocyte proliferation, hypothesized to occur through prevention of mitochondria-mediated activation of DDR. How do we optimize LVAD myocardial recovery regimens to leverage this important finding?