We are focused on understanding how inflammation and fibrosis contribute to diseases of the heart and developing therapies, now in clinical trials for rare cardiac conditions, to target these mechanisms and promote healing.
Blog
A Woman's Decade-Long Battle Living with Chronic Recurrent Pericarditis and the Impact on Her Dream of Starting a Family
Stolina Qirjazi, a 33-year-old woman from Cleveland, Ohio, describes living with chronic recurrent pericarditis for over a decade and the limitations this condition has imposed on her life, “Be positive. Keep going. Everyday there is hope. Never give up. Never, never.”
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The Invisible Burden: Understanding the Full Impact of Recurrent Pericarditis
Rachel Freeburg, a resilient woman from Salem, Oregon, shares her story of battling the physical, mental, and financial hurdles of recurrent pericarditis for seven years: “I couldn’t even laugh because I was so exhausted; it rips you apart.”
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An Indomitable Spirit: A Battle Against Recurrent Pericarditis That Defies the Odds
Alexa Ritchie, 25, has spent the better part of a decade in a constant battle against a rare and debilitating illness that would change the course of her life forever: “It became routine that every couple of months I was down for 7 to 10 days.”
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Myocarditis Foundation
The Myocarditis Foundation is a voluntary, non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing information about myocarditis to medical professionals, patients and their families, with the goal of saving more lives.
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Pericarditis Alliance
The Pericarditis Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the diagnosis, management, and treatment of pericardial disease through research, education, and support for patients and healthcare providers.
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Cannabidiol: Mechanisms and Effects
Cannabidiol has been shown to demonstrate anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects, including attenuating multiple inflammatory signaling pathways known to play an important role in pericarditis, myocarditis, and heart failure. An overview of cannabidiol’s effects on these cellular targets are described below.
An Overview of Cannabidiol as a Multifunctional Drug: Pharmacokinetics and Cellular Effects
by Martinez Naya N, Kelly J, Corna G, et al.. Molecules. 2024;29(2):473.View Online
Cannabidiol inhibits the mesothelial to mesenchymal transition in experimental pericarditis
by Martinez Naya N et al. 2023 Annual Meeting of the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Myocardial and Pericardial Diseases: Poster Viewing SessionsView Online
Cannabidiol As A Potential Treatment For Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
by Lozano O et al. Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting 2023: ePoster Viewing Session III.View Online
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Action of Cannabidiol
by Martinez Naya N, Kelly J, Corna G, et al. Molecules. 2023;28(16):5980.View Online
Cannabidiol Inhibits Endothelial-to-mesenchymal Transition and also Promotes the Reverse Process in vitro
by Krishnamoorthi MK, Youker KA, Bhimaraj A. Annual Scientific Meeting of the Heart Failure Society of America 2022: Basic and Translational Science Posters.View Online
Cardioprotective Effect of Cannabidiol in a Non-Ischemic Model of Heart Failure
by Lozano O, García-Rivas G, Ramos M, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Mar, 75 (11_Supplement_1) 705.View Online
Protective Effects of Pharmaceutically Manufactured Cannabidiol in a Mouse Model of Acute Pericarditis
by Martinez-Naya N, Nirar AH, Kim MM et al. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2022: Late-Breaking Basic Science Posters (LBP24).View Online
Cannabidiol as a Novel Therapeutic for Immune Modulation
by Peyravian N, Deo S, Daunert S, Jimenez JJ. Immunotargets Ther. 2020;9:131-140.View Online
Cannabidiol Limits T Cell-Mediated Chronic Autoimmune Myocarditis: Implications to Autoimmune Disorders and Organ Transplantation
by Lee WS, Erdelyi K, Matyas C, et al. Mol Med. 2016;22:136-146.View Online
Is the Cardiovascular System a Therapeutic Target for Cannabidiol?
by Stanley CP, Hind WH, O'Sullivan SE. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;75(2):313-322.View Online
Cannabidiol attenuates Cardiac Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, Fibrosis, and Inflammatory and Cell Death Signaling Pathways in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
by Rajesh M, Mukhopadhyay P, Bátkai S, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010;56(25):2115-2125.View Online
Inflammation, the Inflammasome, and Fibrosis in Cardiovascular Diseases
Aberrant activation of inflammatory pathways plays a role in many cardiovascular diseases which lead to the inflammation and fibrotic responses that are associated with contributing to the pathogenesis and progression of heart diseases. The papers below provide a summary of how these pathways and mechanisms contribute to pericarditis, myocarditis, and heart failure, and offer insight into their potential as therapeutic targets.
Emerging Roles of Inflammasomes in Cardiovascular Diseases
by Liao Y, Liu K, Zhu L. Emerging Roles of Inflammasomes in Cardiovascular Diseases. Front Immunol. 2022;13:834289.View Online
The Inflammasome as a Therapeutic Target for Myopericardial Diseases
by Imazio M, Abbate A. Minerva Cardiol Angiol. 2022;70(2):238-247.View Online
Targeting the Inflammasome in Cardiovascular Disease
by Olsen MB, Gregersen I, Sandanger Ø, et al. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2021;7(1):84-98.View Online
Inflammation in Human Heart Failure: Major Mediators and Therapeutic Targets
by Reina-Couto M, Pereira-Terra P, Quelhas-Santos J, et al. Front Physiol. 2021;12:746494.View Online
The Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Pericarditis: Potential for Therapeutic Approaches
by Mauro AG, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, et al. JACC Basic Transl Sci. 2021;6(2):137-150.View Online
Inflammation in Heart Failure: JACC State-of-the-Art Review
by Murphy SP, Kakkar R, McCarthy CP, Januzzi JL Jr. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;75(11):1324-1340.View Online
Heart Disease, Pericarditis, Myocarditis and Heart Failure
Conditions affecting the heart are often life-threatening and debilitating. The publications below provide an overview of the impact of pericarditis, myocarditis, and heart failure on patients and healthcare, and include clinical guidelines which describe the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and management of these diseases.
2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of US and Global Data From the American Heart Association
by Seth S. Martin, Aaron W. Aday, Zaid I. Almarzooq, et al. Circulation. 2024;149:e347–e913View Online
2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA Guideline for the Management of Heart Failure: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines
by Heidenreich PA, Bozkurt B, Aguilar D, et al. Circulation. 2022;145(18):e895-e1032.View Online
Burden of Heart Failure and Underlying Causes in 195 Countries and Territories from 1990 to 2017
by Bragazzi NL, Zhong W, Shu J, et al. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2021;28(15):1682-1690.View Online
2021 ESC Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute and Chronic Heart Failure
by McDonagh TA, Metra M, Adamo M, et al. Eur Heart J. 2021;42(36):3599-3726.View Online
Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy: Current Evidence and Future Directions
by Tschöpe C, Ammirati E, Bozkurt B, et al. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2021;18(3):169-193.View Online
Management of Acute and Recurrent Pericarditis: JACC State-of-the-Art Review
by Chiabrando JG, Bonaventura A, Vecchié A, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;75(1):76-92.View Online
2015 ESC Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Pericardial Diseases
by Adler Y, Charron P, Imazio M, et al. Eur Heart J. 2015;36(42):2921-2964.View Online
