Models of cardioprotection

Ischaemic heart disease is a leading cause of death in the world and a major cause of ill health and disability. In the past 20 years, endogenous mechanisms that protect the heart against ischaemia have been described as mechanisms of cardioprotection. In this review, we will provide a brief outline of experimental models used to study cardioprotection. These are either in vitro or in vivo models that serve to study (1) mechanisms of cardioprotection, (2) treatments that activate cardioprotective signalling pathways and (3) novel cardioprotective therapeutic strategies against myocardial ischaemia.

Section editors:Rahul Kakkar and Richard T. Lee – Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA