DDR2 Deletion in the Heart

What happens to the left ventricle and cardiac fibroblasts when DDR2 (Discoidin Domain Receptor 2) is deleted? Deputy Editor Merry Lindsey interviews lead author Randy Cowling (University of California San Diego) and expert Angelo Calderone (Montreal Heart Institute/Universite de Montreal) about the novel work by Cowling and colleagues, which explored the surprising finding that DDR2 deletion resulted in less densely packed collagen that altered myocyte contractility. Does this work provide a stepping stone to deeper investigation of the intricacies of collagen deposition by cardiac fibroblasts? Given the “plasticity” of fibroblast phenotypes, what are the implications of pathological stimuli— for example, post-myocardial infarction? Listen and learn more.

Randy T Cowling, Seon Ju Yeo, In Jai Kim, Joong Il Park, Yusu Gu, Nancy D. Dalton, Kirk L. Peterson, Barry H Greenberg Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) Germline Gene Deletion Leads to Altered Heart Structure and Function in the Mouse Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published online July 3, 2014. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00142.2014.