Framing Heartaches: The Cardiac ECM and the Effects of Age

The cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) is involved in several pathological conditions, and age itself is also associated with certain changes in the heart: it gets larger and stiffer, and it develops an increased risk of abnormal intrinsic rhythm. This, therefore, makes conditions such as atrial arrythmia more common. Many of these changes are directly related to the ECM, yet the proteomic composition of the ECM and how it changes with age is not fully resolved. The limited research progress in this field is mainly due to the intrinsic challenges in unravelling tightly bound cardiac proteomic components and also the time-consuming and costly dependency on animal models. This review aims to give an overview of the composition of the cardiac ECM, how different components aid the function of the healthy heart, how the ECM is remodelled and how it is affected by ageing.

Automated summary

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the heart plays a crucial role in various pathological conditions, and the aging process itself brings about changes in the heart, increasing the risk of abnormal heart rhythm. The proteomic composition of the ECM and its changes with age are yet to be fully understood. Limited research progress in this field is mainly due to the challenges in unraveling the tightly bound cardiac proteomic components and the dependence on time-consuming and costly animal models. This review provides an overview of the cardiac ECM composition, the role of different components in the healthy heart, ECM remodeling, and its effects with aging.