Does genetic inhibition of fibroblast YAP attenuate cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction in a preclinical model of myocardial infarction?
Fibroblast YAP is a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrotic remodeling and heart failure after myocardial infarction.
Fibrotic remodeling of the heart in response to injury contributes to heart failure, yet therapies to treat fibrosis remain elusive. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is activated in cardiac fibroblasts by myocardial infarction, and genetic inhibition of fibroblast YAP attenuates myocardial infarction-induced cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis. YAP promotes myofibroblast differentiation and associated extracellular matrix gene expression through engagement of TEA domain transcription factor 1 and subsequent de novo expression of myocardin-related transcription factor A. Thus, fibroblast YAP is a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrotic remodeling and heart failure.
Francisco et al. (2020) studied this question.