Heart failure (HF) represents a major health and economic burden with high hospital admission rates despite significant advances in treatment and management. The impact of HF on quality of life, survival, and the healthcare system is enormous and growing. Optimally, preventive measures are best placed to limit the development of HF, however, reliable tools are currently lacking, and there is no targeted therapy available. Early detection and monitoring of therapeutic response are critical to the management of HF patients.
miRNAs are endogenous regulatory molecules that play important roles in nearly every cellular process by modulating gene expression at the transcriptional or translational level. miRNAs control and regulate many biological processes involved in the pathology of various diseases, including HF. miRNA expression is often tissue-specific and may indicate the source of pathological processes.
We are also interested in the role of miRNAs in the development of heart failure, particularly fibrosis. We have previously studied the transcardiac gradient of miRNAs in the failing heart, and determined those miRNAs being absorbed or released. We are now exploring how miRNAs are involved in the development of different types of heart failure and to understand why some subjects are more likely to develop them. Our study aims to discover and validate a panel of circulating miRNAs capable of predicting the development and progression of HF with high sensitivity and specificity. This will allow early detection and delivery of personalised, risk-based interventions for high-risk patients and cardiac-directed miRNA treatment for those diagnosed with HF. The research will also identify potential candidates for therapy, with the emergence of miRNA therapeutics.