Targeting the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) with specific ligands represents a promising therapeutic and diagnostic strategy for cardiac diseases.
Targeting the mitochondrial translocator protein (TSPO) offers a promising avenue for novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies in cardiac diseases.
Mitochondria dysfunctions are typical hallmarks of cardiac disorders (CDs). The multiple tasks of this energy-producing organelle are well documented, but its pathophysiologic involvement in several manifestations of heart diseases, such as altered electromechanical coupling, excitability, and arrhythmias, is still under investigation. The human 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) is a protein located on the outer mitochondrial membrane whose expression is altered in different pathological conditions, including CDs, making it an attractive therapeutic and diagnostic target. Currently, only a few TSPO ligands are employed in CDs and cardiac imaging. In this Perspective, we report an overview of the emerging role of TSPO at the heart level, focusing on the recent literature concerning the development of TSPO ligands used for fighting and imaging heart-related disease conditions. Accordingly, targeting TSPO might represent a successful strategy to achieve novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to unravel the fundamental mechanisms and to provide solutions to still unanswered questions in CDs.
Baglini et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Cardiac diseases. TSPO ligands was evaluated. Targeting the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) with specific ligands represents a promising therapeutic and diagnostic strategy for cardiac diseases.