Cardiovascular research
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Cardiovascular research · Dec 2014
ReviewESC working group cellular biology of the heart: position paper: improving the preclinical assessment of novel cardioprotective therapies.
Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. As a result, novel therapies are still needed to protect the heart from the detrimental effects of acute ischaemia-reperfusion injury, in order to improve clinical outcomes in IHD patients. ⋯ One potential reason for this lack of success may have been the failure to thoroughly assess the cardioprotective efficacy of these novel therapies in suitably designed preclinical experimental animal models. Therefore, the aim of this Position Paper by the European Society of Cardiology Working Group Cellular Biology of the Heart is to provide recommendations for improving the preclinical assessment of novel cardioprotective therapies discovered in the research laboratory, with the aim of increasing the likelihood of success in translating these new treatments into improved clinical outcomes.