The Cardiac Contractility, Hypertrophy, and Function [CCHF] Study Section reviews applications involving both basic and applied aspects of the heart that focus on contractile function and dysfunction, including studies of hereditary and acquired cardiac hypertrophy and failure, at levels ranging from molecular assemblies to the intact organ.
Specific areas covered by CCHF:
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Cardiac hypertrophy and adaptation to abnormal hemodynamic load; mechanical signal transduction, genetic myopathies (hypertrophic, dilated, and metabolic), autocrine/paracrine factors; apoptosis; cell cycle factors; aging inflammatory/cytokine-mediated processes; transcriptional pathways in heart failure; capillary density; transition from compensated to uncompensated state.
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Systolic and diastolic dysfunction and heart failure, including: molecular and cellular mechanisms of heart failure; remodeling and extracellular matrix reorganization; capillary density; metabolic adaptations; myocyte energetics; aging.
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The cytoskeleton including biochemistry, transport functions, molecular biology and biophysical aspects of myocyte and ventricular mechanics.
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Genomic and proteomic approaches to cardiac hypertrophy and failure including expression profiling and functional consequences of the changes; genotype-phenotype correlation in human and model organisms.
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Studies of cardiac repair including cell-based therapy.
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Neurohumoral and receptor mechanisms as they relate to hypertrophy and heart failure including adrenoreceptors, cytokines and growth factor receptors.
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Studies of cardiac myocyte contractile function including sarcomeric proteins, isoforms of these proteins; structural elements in normal and disease states, calcium-force relationship; structure-function relationship of sarcomeric proteins.
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Ventricular mechanics; stress-strain relationships; tissue mechanics and constitutive properties of myocardium; myofiber orientation; fibrosis; assessment of the effects of therapeutic interventions such as pacing, ventricular assist devices and others.
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Calcium regulation, signaling as it relates to contractility, diastolic function and relaxation.
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Receptor and post-receptor signaling for control of myocyte growth, remodeling and contractility.
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Valvular heart disease with or without hemodynamic dysfunction.
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Arrythmia-related causes of remodeling and heart failure.
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Acute and chronic changes in ventricular and cellular function that result from heart transplantation.
CCHF has the following shared interests within the CVS IRG:
There is a shared interest in heart failure signaling, arrhythmias and transplantation with other study sections in this IRG. Specific shared interests may occur with applications addressing:
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With Cardiovascular Differentiation and Development [CDD]: Embryonic growth and differentiation of myocytes is appropriately assigned to CDD. Applications addressing calcium regulation and receptor-mediated effects restricted to myocyte growth signaling, contractility, apoptosis, and remodeling are more appropriate for review by CCHF. The renin/angiotensin system as it relates to cellular growth is also appropriate for assignment to CCHF.
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With Electrical Signaling, Ion Transport and Arrhythmias [ESTA]: The study of arrhythmias occurring as a consequence of heart failure and other arrhythmia related studies should be assigned to ESTA. When arrhythmias are studied as an etiology of heart failure and myocardial remodeling, including therapeutic effects of pacing on ventricular hemodynamics, the application is appropriately assigned to CCHF.
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With Myocardial Ischemia and Metabolism [MIM]: Transplant related organ preservation is more appropriately assigned to MIM. Applications that study inflammation of the myocardium secondary to ischemia and the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, cytokines, and chemokines in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury are appropriately assigned to MIM. When transplantation is studied only in relation to assessment of myocardial function, applications may be assigned to CCHF.
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With Atherosclerosis and Inflammation of the Cardiovascular System [AICS]: Transplantation biology including transplant related arrhythmias, graft vasculopathy, atherosclerosis, and transplant immunobiology are appropriately assigned to AICS. When transplantation is studied only in relation to assessment of myocardial function, applications may be assigned to CCHF.
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With Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences [CICS]: Clinical, population, and integrative studies may be more appropriately assigned to CICS.
CCHF has the following shared interests outside the CVS IRG:
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With the Genes, Genomes & Genetics [GGG]: Shared interests include genetic analysis of contractile function or dysfunction. When the focus is a general genetic understanding, assignment could be to the GGG IRG. When the focus is an understanding of the biology and physiology of the cardiovascular system, assignment could be to CCHF.
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With the Cell Biology [CB] IRG: Shared interests include cellular and molecular examination of contractility and hypertrophy. When the focus is a general cellular or molecular understanding, assignment could be to the CB IRG. When the focus is an understanding of the biology and physiology of the cardiovascular system, assignment could be to CCHF.
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With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG: (1) Studies on aging where the primary focus is on ventricular mechanics, myocyte function (systolic and diastolic), or genetic adaptations affecting contractile function, could be assigned to CCHF. Studies on the cardiovascular system that are testing hypotheses about mechanisms of aging that affect multiple systems or non-cardiovascular tissues could be assigned to the BDA IRG. Studies on cardiovascular function or properties that are part of studies of multiple age-related changes in physiology or body composition (e.g., fat, cardiovascular and bone) could be assigned to the BDA IRG. (2) In general, applications that focus on early developmental processes up to and including formation of the primordial heart would typically be assigned to the BDA IRG. On the other hand, applications addressing calcium regulation and receptor-mediated effects restricted to post-primordial myocyte growth signaling, contractility, apoptosis, and remodeling would be appropriate for CCHF. The renin/angiotensin system as it relates to cardiac cellular growth is also appropriate for assignment to CCHF.
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With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG: Studies relating to cardiac metabolism as a chronic adaptation to obesity, diabetes or diet leading to cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure may be assigned to CCHF. Proposals that focus primarily upon the effects of obesity, diabetes, or dietary changes on the whole body or multiple organ systems are appropriate for the EMNR IRG.
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With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG: There is significant shared interest with the SBIB IRG. Areas such as organ preservation and graft rejection-related arrhythmias, and surgical interventions to treat valve dysfunction, may be assigned to the SBIB IRG. The responses of the cardiovascular system to trauma, surgery, or other physiologic stress may be assigned to CCHF.
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