Highlights from FCVB in Leuven and Heart Failure 2026 in Barcelona

The past few months have been particularly exciting for our Working Group, with two outstanding scientific meetings bringing together colleagues and friends from across the cardiovascular community.

At the Frontiers in Cardiovascular Biomedicine Congress in Leuven, our Chair Wolfgang Linke had the honour of opening the scientific programme with a joint symposium organised together with the ESC Working Group on Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology entitled “Mechanoelectrical Heart Disorders: Unravelling the Link Between Cardiomyopathies and Arrhythmias.” The session highlighted exciting advances in the understanding of the interplay between myocardial mechanics and arrhythmogenesis.

More recently, during the Heart Failure Congress in Barcelona, the Working Group co-organised the session “Targeting Adipose Tissue to Prevent Heart Failure.” Chaired by Wolfgang Linke, the session featured inspiring contributions from our Nucleus member Mahmoud Abdellatif, together with Sarah Costantino and Milton Packer, generating lively discussion on the role of adipose tissue in cardiovascular disease.

Beyond the excellent science, both meetings offered a vibrant atmosphere for scientific exchange, new collaborations, and the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends across our community.

Recommended Reading

In this Newsletter, we include an editorial by our Nucleus member Yvan Devaux discussing the recent work by Mira Jung, together with our Nucleus member Christian Bär and colleagues from Thomas Thum’s laboratory, identifying circHIPK2 as a key regulator of macrophage polarization after myocardial infarction.

We also recommend the following recent publications:

Authored by our WG member Alice Marino together with Chair-Elect Luc Bertrand, this study identifies SMIT1 as an active driver of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, highlighting metabolic signalling as a promising therapeutic avenue in heart failure.

Led by our Nucleus member Serena Zacchigna, this fascinating study explores how the mechanical activity of the beating heart may actively suppress tumour growth.

Recently published in the European Heart Journal, this work explores the role of lncRNAs in vascular ageing and cardiac dysfunction.

Looking Back at Naples 2025, our fantastic Biennial Working Group Meeting on Cellular Biology of the Heart held in Naples in November 2025 was recently featured in CardioPulse in the European Heart Journal.

Don’t miss the ESC Congress 2026 in Munich this August

The ESC Congress 2026 in Munich is fast approaching. This year’s spotlight on Artificial Intelligence will explore how AI is becoming an increasingly powerful co-pilot in cardiovascular medicine, enhancing precision, speed, and patient care.

We particularly recommend the following sessions:
-    Friday 28th: Multicellular Crosstalk in the Heart: Relevance for Arrhythmias and Heart Failure
-    Friday 28th: RNA and Extracellular Vesicle Therapies for Cardiovascular Disease
-    Saturday 29th: New Tools for Discovery in Cardiology: Human Tissue Platforms Meet Artificial Intelligence
-    Sunday 30th: Metabolism and Cardiac Dysfunction: From Mechanisms to Therapies
-    Monday 31st: Causes and Consequences of Cardiac Fibrosis
We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Stay Connected with the Working Group

Our LinkedIn community continues to grow and has now reached 530 members. Thank you for helping build such a dynamic and engaged network!

If you would like us to highlight a recent publication, initiative, or upcoming meeting in future newsletters, please feel free to contact Arantxa González-Miqueo (amiqueo@unav.es).

Help us expand our community by inviting colleagues to join both our LinkedIn group and the ESC Working Group on Myocardial Function.
-    Join the WG on Myocardial Function
-    Join our LinkedIn Group

Warm regards,

Arantxa González-Miqueo
Communication Coordinator