Jose Marin-Garcia – författare

Cardiac aging, like aging in general, is a complex process involving numerous cellular and molecular changes, which along the way contribute to the expression of the multiple phenotypes of aging, "the different faces" of cardiac aging. Several plausible theories have been considered to explain aging, e.g., evolution, free radical, somatic mutation, etc; and at this time it is most likely that these different theories are intertwined with each other without a definitive "winner", reflecting a mixture of genetic and epigenetic elements found in most aged individuals with cardiovascular defects. The demonstration in numerous animal models of the dramatic alterations in life-span achieved by gene engineering or dietary modifications, such as caloric restriction, further underscores the interplay of both genetic and environmental factors involved in aging, as well as acting through molecular and signaling pathways operative in the heart and the vasculature.

Aging and decreasing heart function occurring together has been amply documented, and our knowledge of age associated cardiac pathologies has outpaced our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying these processes. At present, genomics, proteomics and recombinant DNA techniques are increasingly applied to the study of cardiac cell structure and function. Their role in aging, in general, and in the aging heart, in particular, will finally be unveiled. With the availability of the Human Genome Project, and an ever increasing number of animal models and new and exciting molecular technologies, the unraveling of the underlying basic mechanisms of cardiac aging have already begun. In this book, the genetic and molecular basis of cardiovascular aging will be discussed and a comprehensive assessment of the bioenergetics changes occurring in human and animal models of cardiac aging, current diagnostic and future therapeutic modalities will be presented.

Signal transduction pathways are at the core of most biological processes and are critical regulators of heart physiology and pathophysiology.  The heart is both a transmitter and dynamic receptor of a variety of intracellular and extracellular stimuli, playing a critical role of an integrator of diverse signaling mechanisms. Alterations in signaling pathways are contributing factors in the development and progression of a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from dysrhythmias and atherosclerosis to hypertension and the metabolic syndrome.  Targeting specific components of these signaling pathways has been shown to be effective in preclinical studies with significant therapeutic impact.

This book brings together current knowledge in cardiovascular cell signal transduction mechanisms, advances in novel therapeutic approaches to improve cardiac function, and discussion of future directions.  Presented from a post-genomic perspective, this exciting book introduces important new ideas in cardiovascular systems biology.  It is an invaluable reference for cardiology researchers and practitioners.

Over the past two decades, due to dramatic advances in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and genetics, our view on mitochondria as a relatively static cellular powerhouse has changed radically. We now know that these organelles play a critical role in the normal and in the damaged heart. Written by Dr. José Marín-García, Director of the Molecular Cardiology and Neuromuscular Institute, Mitochondria and Their Role in Cardiovascular Disease brings readers up- to-date on the many significant advances in the field of mitochondrial cardiovascular medicine.  The book begins with a general introduction to mitochondria, followed by laboratory methods to study the structure and function of the organelle, regulation of replication and biogenesis, and the mechanisms and functional consequences of mitophagia and mitochondrial dynamics. Subsequent chapters deal with mitochondrial oxidative stress and the role that the organelle plays in cell signaling and cell death. Discussions will be undertaken on the biochemistry of mitochondrial cell signaling, including the nature of the proteins engaged in these processes, many of them only recently discovered. Later chapters examine the role of mitochondria and mitochondrial abnormalities in cardiovascular diseases, including their diagnosis, therapeutic options currently available, animal models of mitochondrial disease, and new frontiers in mitochondria cardiovascular medicine, including areas of research that are relatively new or developing, such as proteomics, next generation sequencing, and systems biology.