Cardiac aging involves intricate structural and functional alterations within the heart. These changes include cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and dysfunction, fibrosis, impaired diastolic function, and increased susceptibility to arrhythmias. At the cellular level, these changes lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere shortening. Modeling cardiac aging is critical for preclinical drug testing and developing effective anti-aging therapeutics for age-related cardiovascular diseases.
Fig. 1 A schematic summary of the molecular mechanisms of cardiac aging and potential cardiac aging interventions. (Chiao YA, Rabinovitch PS, 2015)
At CD BioSciences, our scientists work with clients to establish a comprehensive suite of in vitro and in vivo cardiac aging models that reflect the physiological and pathological changes.
Available Cardiac Aging Models
CD BioSciences offers a comprehensive range of cardiac aging models, encompassing cellular and animal models to support diverse research needs.
Senescent cardiomyocytes
CD BioSciences employs several strategies to develop senescent cardiomyocytes, including replicative induction via senescence-inducing agents and genetic manipulation of senescence-related pathways. These models allow clients to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiomyocyte senescence and evaluate the effects of anti-aging therapeutics on cell function and survival.
Senescent cardiac fibroblasts
Cardiac fibroblasts play a critical role in the development of age-related cardiac fibrosis. We offer customized models of senescent cardiac fibroblasts, generated through genetic manipulation of fibrosis-related pathways.
Mouse models of cardiac aging
Murine models remain a cornerstone of cardiac aging research due to their genetic tractability and physiological relevance. CD BioSciences provides both naturally aged mice and mouse models of accelerated aging. Naturally aged mice are used to reflect physiological age-related changes, while accelerated models are established through genetic modifications or pharmacological treatments to induce aging phenotypes. These models are ideal for studying age-related changes in cardiac structure and function, as well as for evaluating the in vivo efficacy and safety of anti-aging therapeutics.
Drosophila models of cardiac aging
Drosophila melanogaster has emerged as a valuable model for cardiac aging due to its short lifespan, well-characterized genetics, and conserved cardiac aging pathways. CD BioSciences offers Drosophila models with age-related cardiac decline, including reduced heart contractility, increased arrhythmia, and structural remodeling.
Applications of Cardiac Aging Models in Drug Discovery
Our models of cardiac aging offer invaluable tools for various drug discovery applications.
- Target identification and validation. Our experts use cardiac aging models to help clients identify and validate novel therapeutic targets by studying the effects of specific genetic modifications on cells and tissues.
- Drug screening and efficacy evaluation. We perform high-throughput screening using in vitro models to evaluate large compound libraries and identify promising drug candidates. Our in vivo models enable rigorous evaluation of anti-aging drug efficacy while facilitating investigation into the underlying molecular mechanisms and pathways affected by therapeutic interventions.
- Safety assessment. Our in vitro and in vivo models of cardiac aging can be used as tools to assess the potential toxicity and off-target effects of anti-aging drug candidates.
By customizing a range of innovative cardiac aging models, CD BioSciences supports clients in unraveling the complexities of cardiac aging and identifying effective anti-aging therapeutics. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us or make an online inquiry.
References
- Gray RP. Cardiology in the aging heart: Models. Drug Discovery Today: Disease Models, 2005, 2 (3), 233-237.
- Chiao YA, Rabinovitch PS. The Aging Heart. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med, 2015, 5 (9): a025148.
- Luan Y, et al. Cardiac cell senescence: molecular mechanisms, key proteins and therapeutic targets. Cell Death Discov, 2024, 10 (1): 78.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.