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Biomedicines
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Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future—2nd Edition
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Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future—2nd Edition

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Cell Biology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 3724

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ali Amr

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Cardiomyopathies Heidelberg (ICH), University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Interests: cardiomyopathies; heart failure; personalized medicine; interventional cardiology; sudden cardiac death risk stratification; channelopathies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As our knowledge in medical sciences continues to evolve, the significance of specialized research in complex heart diseases has never been more critical. Cardiomyopathies, a heterogeneous group of heart muscle diseases, stand as a leading cause of heart failure, posing an immense challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. The heterogeneity and pathophysiological complexity of both primary and secondary cardiomyopathies present significant challenges, particularly in relation to heart failure. One of the most daunting aspects lies in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the diverse subtypes of cardiomyopathies, such as hypertrophic, dilated, and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. This heterogeneity demands multifaceted investigative approaches to discern distinct genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors contributing to myocardial remodeling and subsequent heart failure. This is indispensable for the development of new diagnostic tools, risk stratification methods, patient management, and therapies in enhancing the quality of care.

This Special Issue of Biomedicines, titled “Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future”, aims to amass a compilation of articles focusing on cardiomyopathies and their implications in heart failure. We encourage the submission of both original research articles and review papers. Furthermore, given the transformative role of artificial intelligence in medicine, we are particularly interested in studies that explore its application in the realm of cardiomyopathies. Investigations into how artificial intelligence can aid in early detection, treatment optimization, patient monitoring, and novel therapeutic developments are highly encouraged.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Various forms of cardiomyopathies and their role in heart failure;
  • Early diagnosis and screening methods for cardiomyopathies;
  • Risk stratification and patient management in cardiomyopathies;
  • Novel therapeutic strategies for treating cardiomyopathies;
  • Machine learning algorithms for analyzing cardiac imaging in cardiomyopathies;
  • Global health perspectives on cardiomyopathies and heart failure.

We look forward to your contributions.

Dr. Ali Amr
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiomyopathies
  • heart failure
  • risk stratification
  • management of cardiomyopathies
  • cardiac imaging
  • telemedicine

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2131 KB  
Article
Basal-Predominant Right-Ventricular Dysfunction in Pediatric Dilated Cardiomyopathy: An Integrated Biventricular Strain Analysis
by Iolanda Muntean, Diana Ramona Iurian, Asmaa-Carla Hagau and Beatrix-Julia Hack
Biomedicines 2026, 14(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14010038 - 23 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 567
Abstract
Background: Right-ventricular (RV) involvement is starting to gain recognition in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), but its deformation characteristics and its relationship to functional status remain insufficiently defined. Methods: Twenty-nine children with primary DCM were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Conventional echocardiography [...] Read more.
Background: Right-ventricular (RV) involvement is starting to gain recognition in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), but its deformation characteristics and its relationship to functional status remain insufficiently defined. Methods: Twenty-nine children with primary DCM were compared with age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Conventional echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) were performed. Segmental deformation (basal, mid-ventricular and apical levels) was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model. Associations between strain indices and advanced functional limitation (NYHA/Ross Class III-IV) were evaluated using exploratory logistic regression and ROC analysis. Results: Children with DCM showed significant impairment in both ventricles. Conventional parameters (TAPSE, tricuspid E/A ratio, RV E′ velocity, and LV ejection fraction) were reduced. Right ventricular strain was significantly lower in DCM compared with controls (p < 0.05). Segmental analysis demonstrated a basal-predominant reduction in RV strain. Right-ventricular free-wall longitudinal strain correlated with RV S′ (r = −0.49), RV E′ (r = −0.46), LVGLS (r = 0.79) and LV ejection fraction (r = −0.63, all p < 0.05). In univariable analysis, RVFWSL predicted advanced functional class (OR 1.13 per 1% decrease, p = 0.026), while LVGLS remained the independent predictor in the multivariable model. A combined model incorporating RVFWSL and LVGLS demonstrated excellent discriminative accuracy (AUC 0.95). Conclusions: Pediatric DCM is characterized by RV involvement with a distinct basal-dominant deformation pattern. Biventricular strain assessment improves the identification of children with advanced functional class and may enhance functional stratification beyond conventional indices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future—2nd Edition)
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Review

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22 pages, 1825 KB  
Review
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options in Myocarditis and Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy
by Heinz-Peter Schultheiss, Felicitas Escher, Ganna Aleshcheva, Gordon Wiegleb and Christian Baumeier
Biomedicines 2026, 14(3), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14030691 - 17 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 928
Abstract
Myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy are inflammatory diseases of the heart muscle that can have both infectious and non-infectious causes. They can be caused by an unresolved viral infection or other infection, or they can be autoimmune, toxic, or allergic in nature. The specific [...] Read more.
Myocarditis and inflammatory cardiomyopathy are inflammatory diseases of the heart muscle that can have both infectious and non-infectious causes. They can be caused by an unresolved viral infection or other infection, or they can be autoimmune, toxic, or allergic in nature. The specific identification of the pathogen and/or confirmation of inflammation can only be achieved through direct tissue analysis using endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), as neither detection of the virus nor assessment of the quality and intensity of the inflammation is possible using non-invasive methods. Accordingly, the removal and analysis of an EMB is considered the diagnostic gold standard in international guidelines and statements. The sudden onset of atypical angina pectoris and initially exertion-dependent dyspnea, as well as arrhythmias, pericardial effusion, and progressive symptoms of heart failure, indicate an acute inflammatory process of the myocardium. In addition, nonspecific symptoms such as fatigue and reduced physical performance may also occur. Diagnostic evaluation includes an electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac imaging, and laboratory tests. The analysis of the EMB is crucial for a definitive diagnosis and thus for the initiation of an etiology-based, specific and personalized therapy. This includes histological and immunohistochemical inflammation diagnostics as well as molecular virological diagnostics. These enable both the detection of viruses and the assessment of transcriptional virus activity. New analyses using metagenomic next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques provide insights of enormous diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. This applies both to the spectrum of detectable pathogens and to the possibility of confirming transcriptional viral activity. In addition, gene expression profiling enables the differentiation of specific forms of myocardial inflammation (e.g., giant cell myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, and eosinophilic myocarditis) and reduces the influence of “sampling errors” in focal inflammatory processes. The treatment of heart failure or ventricular arrhythmias is always symptomatic according to general evidence-based guidelines. In severe cases, mechanical circulatory support or even a heart transplant may be necessary. Patients with histologically confirmed myocardial inflammation or intramyocardial viral infection can be offered specific, causal, and personalized therapy. These patients can be successfully treated with immunosuppressive or antiviral therapy, which significantly improves the prognosis of the disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future—2nd Edition)
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18 pages, 705 KB  
Review
The Role of miRNAs in Chemotherapy-Induced Cardiotoxicity
by Maria Anastasiou, Evangelos Oikonomou, Panagiotis Theofilis, Maria Gazouli, Amanda Psyrri, Flora Zagouri, Gerasimos Siasos and Dimitrios Tousoulis
Biomedicines 2025, 13(10), 2331; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13102331 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1806
Abstract
Cardiotoxicity is one of the most important adverse events of chemotherapy regimens, especially of anthracyclines. Different mechanisms are associated with chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD): oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inhibition of topoisomerase 2 beta, abnormal iron metabolism, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Even after years of [...] Read more.
Cardiotoxicity is one of the most important adverse events of chemotherapy regimens, especially of anthracyclines. Different mechanisms are associated with chemotherapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD): oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inhibition of topoisomerase 2 beta, abnormal iron metabolism, apoptosis, and fibrosis. Even after years of investigation, the early detection and prevention of cardiac impairment after chemotherapy through biomarkers remains an unmet need. The differential expression of microRNAs (miRs) in plasma at different timepoints (baseline, stable intervals during and at the end of chemotherapy) has been associated with CTRCD. Namely, some miRs, such as let-7, miR-29 and miR-30 family, miR-1 clusters, miR-34a, miR-126, miR-130a, miR-140, miR-320a, and miR-499, could play prognostic and/or diagnostic roles in CTRCD. Key miRs involved in apoptosis and oxidative stress include miR-1, miR-21, miR-30 and miR-130a, while let-7 family, miR-34a, miR-29b and miR-499 are associated with fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodeling. Additionally, mitochondrial function is regulated by miR-30, miR-130a and miR-499. Expanding its role, miR-130a could act as a therapeutic agent of CTRCD through its inhibition. This narrative review focuses on the current understanding of miRs’ involvement in CTRCD pathophysiology, summarizes the evidence linking miRs with cardiotoxicity risk, and explores the potential of miRs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve early detection, risk stratification, and management of CTRCD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cardiomyopathies and Heart Failure: Charting the Future—2nd Edition)
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