Gene Therapy Targets and the Role of Pharmacogenomics in Heart Failure

Heart failure is supposed to be one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in the developed countries (McMurray JJ, 2000) (Cowie MR, 2000). It is not a disease by itself but it is a consequent condition of a number of co-existing factors including arterial hypertension, coronary artery heart disease and myocardiopathies. The quality of life of the patient is affected in heart failure more than in other diseases (Stewart AL, 1989) and the cost for the care providing system is estimated to be 22 billion $ each year in the United States (American Heart Association, 2000). Thus, investigating into heart failure causal factors and into management possibilities is of high importance in order to provide the essential help to the patients. It should be marked that the most important causal factor of heart failure is ischemic heart disease, thus we are dealing with heart failure developed after an ischemic episode if not mentioned else. The currently used drugs can manage effectively the main symptoms of heart failure and may control the symptoms of this condition. Nevertheless, judging by the numbers of morbidity and especially mortality, which remain high, we can assume that new research fields have to be developed in order to provide new effective therapies for heart failure. The progress in the technology and in biologic science allows the development of new optimized and individualized drugs with the aid of pharmacogenomics. Moreover, novel effective therapies emerge from the use of gene therapy and stem cell transplantation in the therapeutic strategies against heart failure after an ischemic episode.