Future therapeutic strategies in inflammatory cardiomyopathy : insights from the experimental autoimmune myocarditis model

Inflammatory cardiomyopathy is a common cause of heart failure developing on a basis of cardiac inflammation. Cardiac inflammation - or myocarditis - is usually triggered by infections or cardiac damage of any cause. Experimental autoimmune myocarditis refers to a CD4(+) T cell-mediated mouse model of inflammatory cardiomyopathy. So far, the experimental autoimmune myocarditis model helped us to understand the role of various chemokines, cytokines, and cell subsets in the progression of inflammatory heart disease. Here, we review the current therapeutic options for inflammatory cardiomyopathy, and delineate potential future treatment approaches from the most recent mechanistic insights given by the experimental autoimmune myocarditis model.