(April 2013) MicroRNAs (miRs) are small, noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. Thus, miRs have been shown to regulate many processes in health and disease, including cardiovascular disease. Using a method to screen libraries of multiple synthetic miRs for the induction of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, a hallmark of the myocardial stress response, we found the first evidence for an antihypertrophic activity of miR-378 in the myocardium. Subsequent analyses carried out by Jaya Ganesan in the lab showed that miR-378 represses prohypertrophic signaling at 4 levels within the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. MiR-378 was found to be downregulated both in animal models of myocardial disease and in human failing myocardium. Compensation for miR-378 downregulation in a cardiac disease model using viral gene transfer in vivo protected the heart against hypertrophy and dysfunction. Together, these data indicate effective interference of miR-378 with a key prohypertrophic signaling pathway. We imagine that targeted delivery of miR-378 to the heart may prove to be an effective therapeutic strategy in  myocardial disease. For further reading see Circulation, published online April 26^th, 2013.

(April 2013) MD/PhD student Laura Hinz received the "Otto-Hess-Promotionsstipendium" from the German Cardiac Society. This scholarship is awarded to outstanding medical students who show a strong interest in cardiovascular research.

(April 2013) This year´s Poster Prize of the Dutch-German Molecular Cardiology Working Groups goes to Yassine Sassi, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the IPT. The awarded work is entitled "Paracrine actions of the intracellular second messenger cAMP secreted from cardiac myocytes".