Science News from #BCVS26

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction increasingly driven by severe obesity, affects millions worldwide and lacks well-defined mechanisms and effective therapies. However, findings from a landmark study recently published in Science suggest that higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with impaired sarcomere function despite preserved ejection fraction. One of the study investigators, David A. Kass, MD, FAHA, discussed the findings and their implications for molecular targeting and reversibility with weight loss during a featured session on day one of BCVS 2026. In this related interview, moderated by Susmita Sahoo, PhD, Dr. Kass and Dr. Sahoo further explore the study design, potential mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic insights arising from this work.

• Science: Severe obesity in human HFpEF alters contractile protein function and organization
• Circulation: Prospective Associations of Obesity and Obesity Severity With 9 Cardiovascular Outcomes: The Cross-Cohort Collaboration

BCVS Council Chair Sean M. Wu, MD, PhD talks with BCVS Programming Committee Chair Farah Sheikh, PhD and Chair-Elect Jennifer Davis, PhD, MA about some of the highlights they have planned for the meeting this year.

In this interview with program chairs Farah Sheikh, PhD and Jennifer Davis, PhD, MA, Dr. Epstein discusses emerging strategies to treat cardiac fibrosis by engineering the immune system, highlighting innovative work using CAR-T cell approaches and mRNA-lipid nanoparticle technology to target cardiac fibroblasts. He also reflects on his career trajectory, the formative influences, collaborations, and leadership experiences that shaped his career, and offers insights for trainees pursuing careers in cardiovascular science.

Christine Seidman, MD discusses her research with Lilei Zhang, MD, PhD, focusing on how advances in sarcomere biology and genetic mutations have deepened understanding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and created new opportunities for precision risk assessment and treatment. She also discusses the promise of antifibrotic and mRNA-based therapies, emphasizing the importance of linking clinical observations with scientific discovery to prevent future cardiovascular disease.

Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD, past president of the American Heart Association, speaks with Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, PhD and Dr. Aitor Aguirre, PhD about the growing role of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in cardiovascular research. The experts discuss advances in cardiac organoids, organs-on-chips, multi-organ platforms, and more. They also explore how these technologies complement animal models, accelerate translational science, and help train the next generation of cardiovascular investigators.

In this interview with Konstantinos Drosatos, MSc, PhD, Anja Karlstaed, MD, PhD discusses her findings focused on a metabolic enzyme that may explain how metabolic remodeling contributes to heart failure and how therapies may need to be tailored to individual disease states.

In this interview with Pilar Alcaide, PhD, Han Zhu, MD, explores novel strategies to treat immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis by targeting T-cell trafficking to the heart while preserving antitumor efficacy. Both discussions highlight how translational immune and metabolic research can inform risk prediction strategies and advance understanding of cardiovascular disease.

Daniel Garry, MD, PhD speaks with Laura Zelarayán-Behrend, PhD, about her research identifying KLF15 as a target of heart failure progression and the use of CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) technology to restore its activity in preclinical models. They discuss KLF15’s role in regulating cardiac metabolism, fibrosis, and pathological remodeling, as well as the potential of transcriptional rewiring approaches to uncover new therapeutic targets. The conversation also explores ongoing efforts to translate these findings into larger animal models and ultimately improve outcomes for patients with heart failure.

Carmen "Kika" Sucharov, PhD, FAHA interviews the 2026 finalists about the research they presented for the competition: Ivan Menendez-Montes, PhD, MSc University of Arizona; Noor Momin, PhD, University of Pennsylvania; Shibali Das, PhD Washington University School of Medicine.

Chair of the BCVS Inflammation and Heart Failure Committee, Han Zhu, MD, and committee members Francesca Vacante, PhD, and Mingtao Zhao, PhD, highlight the new Frontiers in Cardio-Inflammation webinar series as a platform designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue by connecting early-career scientists, and physician-scientists,  with leading experts across basic, translational and clinical science. The committee also invites members to participate in the upcoming webinar, taking place on September 24, 2026, continuing its mission to advance scientific mentorship, collaboration and innovation in cardiovascular inflammation research.

Recorded at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Scientific Sessions, Circulation Editor-in-Chief Bradley Maron, MD sits down with newly appointed Council on BCVS Chair Sean Wu, MD, PhD to discuss the future of cardiovascular research and his vision for accelerating discoveries from the laboratory to patient care.

In this video, Maria Kontaridis, PhD, immediate past chair of the Council on BCVS, invites the scientific community to attend the meeting again next year - now for the first time a co-located event overlapping with Vascular Discovery and designed to foster broader collaboration across the basic cardiovascular and vascular communities.

BCVS: Mon., July 19 – Thu., July 22, 2027
Vascular Discovery: Thu., July 22 – Sun., July 25, 2027
Location: The Westin Boston Seaport, Boston, Massachusetts