Models of cardiac hypertrophy and transition to heart failure

The prevalence of heart failure is increasing rapidly worldwide, and yet effective treatments remain elusive. Pathological remodeling of the ventricle – and associated hypertrophic growth, fibrotic change, cavity dilatation and electrophysiological remodeling – is a significant contributor to the pathogenesis of this prevalent disorder. As a consequence, there is great interest in developing new therapies to target pathological remodeling of the heart with the intent to prevent, arrest, or possibly reverse the otherwise inexorable progression of disease. To tackle this problem, numerous models of disease have been developed, both in vivo and in vitro. Here, we review models of cardiac hypertrophy and failure, compare and contrast their strengths and limitations, and on occasion cite recent works where the use of these models has contributed to significant scientific advances.

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