Sarcomeres and Cardiac Growth: Tension in the Relationship

Genetic mutations in the cardiomyocyte contractile apparatus cause aberrant cardiac growth categorized morphologically as hypertrophic or dilated. A recent study leverages an array of mutant mouse models to extrapolate a new integrated parameter: the myofilament ‘tension index’, which predicts patterns of cardiac growth resulting from individual sarcomeric mutations. These findings may inform genotype-specific therapies.