Topic: Inflammation and Infection in Cardiac Injury and Remodeling

Cardiac injury, whether caused by ischemia, infection, or systemic inflammatory conditions, triggers a complex cascade of immune and molecular responses that ultimately shape cardiac repair and remodeling. In recent years, growing evidence has highlighted the dual roles of inflammation and infection in determining cardiac outcomes. While the inflammatory response is essential for clearing damaged tissue and initiating repair, dysregulated or chronic inflammation can exacerbate myocardial injury, promote fibrosis, and contribute to adverse cardiac remodeling and heart failure. Similarly, infectious agents, including viral, bacterial, and emerging pathogens, can directly damage cardiomyocytes and activate immune pathways that further disrupt myocardial structure and function.

This Special Issue, Inflammation and Infection in Cardiac Injury and Remodeling, brings together original research and comprehensive reviews that explore the cellular, molecular, and clinical aspects of these processes. Contributions address key mechanisms underlying immune activation, pathogen-induced myocardial damage, and the interplay between inflammatory signaling and structural remodeling in the heart. By integrating insights from basic science, translational studies, and clinical investigations, this collection aims to advance the understanding of how inflammatory and infectious processes drive cardiac pathology and to highlight emerging therapeutic strategies targeting immune and inflammatory pathways to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Inflammation, infection, cardiac injury, cardiac remodeling, myocarditis, immune signaling, viral infection, fibrosis