Potential applications of small interfering RNAs in the cardiovascular field

Since the demonstration of the ability of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to downregulate gene expression in mammalian cells, many potential therapeutic applications have been explored. Here we present an update on the studies performed in the cardiovascular field, which at the moment are rather limited compared to the applications studied for other pathological conditions. So far, in the cardiovascular field, three main research topics can be discerned: 1) studies devoted to ameliorating and understanding the mechanisms regulating cardiomyocyte function; 2) studies aimed at preventing viral myocarditis; and 3) studies dealing with vascular pathologies. Although the potential applications of siRNAs in cardiovascular pathologies are limited compared to other human diseases, the reported studies suggest that siRNAs may help to develop novel effective therapeutic approaches in the cardiovascular field.