The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential component of the heart that imparts
fundamental cellular processes during organ development and homeostasis. Most …

Advances in medical and device therapies have demonstrated the capacity of the heart to
reverse the failing phenotype. The development of normative changes to ventricular size …

Stem cells are a promising cell source for regenerative medicine. Stem cell differentiation
must be regulated for applications in regenerative medicine. Stem cells are surrounded by …

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) is unique among the four TIMPs due to its
extracellular matrix (ECM)-binding property and broad range of inhibitory substrates that …

Obesity is a growing epidemiological problem, as two-thirds of the adult population are
carrying excess weight. It is a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases …

Myocardial fibrosis is excess accumulation of the extracellular matrix fibrillar collagens.
Fibrosis is a key feature of various cardiomyopathies and compromises cardiac systolic and …

Cardiac fibrosis plays an indispensable role in cardiac tissue homeostasis and repair after
myocardial infarction (MI). The cardiac fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the noncellular component of tissues in the cardiovascular
system and other organs throughout the body. It is formed of filamentous proteins …

During an average individual's lifespan, the human heart pumps nearly 200 million liters of
blood delivered by approximately 3 billion heartbeats. Therefore, it is not surprising that …

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their endogenous inhibitors have been studied in the
myocardium for the past 2 decades. An incomplete knowledge base and experimental …