Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research
Over the past four decades, cardioprotective research has revealed an extraordinary complexity of cellular and molecular mechanisms capable of mitigating ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Among these, ischemic conditioning has emerged as one of the most influential discoveries: brief episodes of is...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/889 |
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| author | Pasquale Pagliaro Giuseppe Alloatti Claudia Penna |
| author_facet | Pasquale Pagliaro Giuseppe Alloatti Claudia Penna |
| author_sort | Pasquale Pagliaro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Over the past four decades, cardioprotective research has revealed an extraordinary complexity of cellular and molecular mechanisms capable of mitigating ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Among these, ischemic conditioning has emerged as one of the most influential discoveries: brief episodes of ischemia followed by reperfusion activate protective programs that reduce myocardial damage. These effects can be elicited locally (pre- or postconditioning) or remotely (remote conditioning), acting mainly through paracrine signaling and mitochondria-linked kinase pathways, with both early and delayed windows of protection. We have contributed to clarifying the roles of mitochondria, oxidative stress, prosurvival kinases, connexins, extracellular vesicles, and sterile inflammation, particularly via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Despite robust preclinical evidence, clinical translation of these approaches has remained disappointing. The challenges largely stem from experimental models that poorly reflect real-world clinical settings—such as advanced age, comorbidities, and multidrug therapy—as well as the reliance on surrogate endpoints that do not reliably predict clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, interest in multi-target protective strategies remains strong. New lines of investigation are focusing on emerging mediators—such as gasotransmitters, extracellular vesicles, and endogenous peptides—as well as targeted modulation of inflammatory responses. Future perspectives point toward personalized cardioprotection tailored to patient metabolic and immune profiles, with special attention to high-risk populations in whom IRI continues to represent a major clinical challenge. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb0ab1a138cb4878916edd7ac5ccd333 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb0ab1a138cb4878916edd7ac5ccd3332025-08-20T02:45:43ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-07-0114788910.3390/antiox14070889Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of ResearchPasquale Pagliaro0Giuseppe Alloatti1Claudia Penna2Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, ItalyUni-Astiss, Polo Universitario Rita Levi Montalcini, 14100 Asti, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, 10043 Orbassano, ItalyOver the past four decades, cardioprotective research has revealed an extraordinary complexity of cellular and molecular mechanisms capable of mitigating ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Among these, ischemic conditioning has emerged as one of the most influential discoveries: brief episodes of ischemia followed by reperfusion activate protective programs that reduce myocardial damage. These effects can be elicited locally (pre- or postconditioning) or remotely (remote conditioning), acting mainly through paracrine signaling and mitochondria-linked kinase pathways, with both early and delayed windows of protection. We have contributed to clarifying the roles of mitochondria, oxidative stress, prosurvival kinases, connexins, extracellular vesicles, and sterile inflammation, particularly via activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Despite robust preclinical evidence, clinical translation of these approaches has remained disappointing. The challenges largely stem from experimental models that poorly reflect real-world clinical settings—such as advanced age, comorbidities, and multidrug therapy—as well as the reliance on surrogate endpoints that do not reliably predict clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, interest in multi-target protective strategies remains strong. New lines of investigation are focusing on emerging mediators—such as gasotransmitters, extracellular vesicles, and endogenous peptides—as well as targeted modulation of inflammatory responses. Future perspectives point toward personalized cardioprotection tailored to patient metabolic and immune profiles, with special attention to high-risk populations in whom IRI continues to represent a major clinical challenge.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/889ischemia/reperfusion injuryoxidative stressmitochondriamyocardial infarctionNLRP3 inflammasomereactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Pasquale Pagliaro Giuseppe Alloatti Claudia Penna Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research Antioxidants ischemia/reperfusion injury oxidative stress mitochondria myocardial infarction NLRP3 inflammasome reactive oxygen species |
| title | Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research |
| title_full | Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research |
| title_fullStr | Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research |
| title_short | Cardioprotection Reloaded: Reflections on 40 Years of Research |
| title_sort | cardioprotection reloaded reflections on 40 years of research |
| topic | ischemia/reperfusion injury oxidative stress mitochondria myocardial infarction NLRP3 inflammasome reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/889 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pasqualepagliaro cardioprotectionreloadedreflectionson40yearsofresearch AT giuseppealloatti cardioprotectionreloadedreflectionson40yearsofresearch AT claudiapenna cardioprotectionreloadedreflectionson40yearsofresearch |