The Non-coding Road Towards Cardiac Regeneration

Our understanding of cardiovascular disease has evolved rapidly, leading to a number of treatments that have improved patient quality of life and mortality rates. However, there is still no cure for heart failure. This has led to the pursuit of cardiac regeneration to prevent, and ultimately cure, this debilitating condition. To this end, several approaches have been proposed, including activation of cardiomyocyte proliferation, activation of endogenous or exogenous stem/progenitor cells, delivery of de novo cardiomyocytes, and in situ direct reprogramming of cardiac fibroblasts. While these different methodologies are currently being intensely investigated, there are still a number of caveats limiting their application in the clinic. Given the emerging regulatory potential of non-coding RNAs for controlling diverse cellular processes, these molecules may offer potential solutions in this pursuit of cardiac regeneration. In this concise review, we discuss the potential role of non-coding RNAs in a variety of different cardiac regenerative approaches.