Title:Recent advances in the management of autoimmune myocarditis: insights from animal studies.
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Author(s): Kazuko Tajiri, Yasuhiro Yasutomi and Kazutaka Aonuma
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Autoimmune myocarditis, suppressor of cytokine signaling, immune tolerance, statin, matricellular protein, dilated cardiomyopathy,
animal model.
Abstract: A growing body of evidence has been accumulating to demonstrate that human myocarditis and dilated
cardiomyopathy involve a complex interaction with autoimmunity triggered by cardiotropic microbial infections.
Animal experiments have provided direct evidence that infections with a particular microbe can incite autoimmune
myocarditis, and this autoimmune response can be mimicked by immunization with the cardiac autoantigen, -
myosin. Animal models greatly advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of myocarditis, and
various novel therapeutic strategies have been reported during the last two decades. In this review we present animal
models of autoimmune myocarditis and describe the outlook of possible drug targets by showing the latest
findings from animal studies.
