Anticancer therapies, including VEGF, proteasome, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, may induce cardiotoxicity by neutralizing myocardial cardioprotective defense mechanisms.
Cancer therapies targeting VEGF, proteasomes, and immune checkpoints can abrogate myocardial protective mechanisms, leading to cardiotoxicity and heart failure.
Myocardial protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) is mediated by various ligands, activating different cellular signaling cascades. These include classical cytosolic mediators such as cyclic-GMP (c-GMP), various kinases such as Phosphatydilinositol-3- (PI3K), Protein Kinase B (Akt), Mitogen-Activated-Protein- (MAPK) and AMP-activated (AMPK) kinases, transcription factors such as signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and bioactive molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Most of the aforementioned signaling molecules constitute targets of anticancer therapy; as they are also involved in carcinogenesis, most of the current anti-neoplastic drugs lead to concomitant weakening or even complete abrogation of myocardial cell tolerance to ischemic or oxidative stress. Furthermore, many anti-neoplastic drugs may directly induce cardiotoxicity via their pharmacological effects, or indirectly via their cardiovascular side effects. The combination of direct drug cardiotoxicity, indirect cardiovascular side effects and neutralization of the cardioprotective defense mechanisms of the heart by prolonged cancer treatment may induce long-term ventricular dysfunction, or even clinically manifested heart failure. We present a narrative review of three therapeutic interventions, namely VEGF, proteasome and Immune Checkpoint inhibitors, having opposing effects on the same intracellular signal cascades thereby affecting the heart. Moreover, we herein comment on the current guidelines for managing cardiotoxicity in the clinical setting and on the role of cardiovascular confounders in cardiotoxicity.
Efentakis et al. (2022) conducted a review in Cancer therapy-induced cardiotoxicity. Anticancer therapy (VEGF, proteasome, and immune checkpoint inhibitors) was evaluated. Anticancer therapies, including VEGF, proteasome, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, may induce cardiotoxicity by neutralizing myocardial cardioprotective defense mechanisms.