Advancing Heart Failure Research Using Human-Based Approaches

Heart failure is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite decades of extensive research, we only have a few interventions for human heart failure. Thus there is a great need to increase our understanding of heart failure pathology in order to develop new preventive and treatment strategies. However, the vast majority of basic science heart failure research and drug development is conducted using animal models that do not accurately mimic heart failure  seen in human patients. A recent commentary by Physicians Committee director of laboratory science Charu Chandrasekera, Ph.D., and director of academic affairs John J. Pippin, M.D., F.A.C.C., addresses the need to change the existing animal-based paradigm and how to prioritize human-based, human-relevant research to tackle the epidemic status of heart failure.