IMR Press / RCM / Volume 23 / Issue 6 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2306196
Open Access Review
The Heart in Fabry Disease: Mechanisms Beyond Storage and Forthcoming Therapies
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1 Cardiovascular Department, San Donato Hospital, 52100 Arezzo, Italy
2 Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
3 Multimodality Cardiac Imaging Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, 20097 Milan, Italy
4 Clinical Echocardiography Diagnostic Service, Cardio Center, Humanitas Research Hospital IRCCS, 20089 Rozzano, Italy
*Correspondence: mauriziopieroni@yahoo.com (Maurizio Pieroni)
Academic Editor: Sophie Mavrogeni
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2022, 23(6), 196; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2306196
Submitted: 26 February 2022 | Revised: 29 March 2022 | Accepted: 13 April 2022 | Published: 27 May 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

In patients with Fabry disease (FD), cardiovascular involvement is the main cause of death and reduction of quality of life. Left ventricular hypertrophy mimicking hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the main feature of FD cardiac involvement although glycolipid storage occurs in all cardiac cellular types. Accumulation of lysosomal globotriasylceramide represents the main mechanism of cardiac damage in early stages, but secondary pathways of cellular and tissue damage, triggered by lysosomal storage, and including altered energy production, inflammation and cell death, contribute to cardiac damage and disease progression. These mechanisms appear prominent in more advanced stages, hampering and reducing the efficacy of FD-specific treatments. Therefore, additional cardiovascular therapies are important to manage cardiovascular symptoms and reduce cardiovascular events. Although new therapies targeting lysosomal storage are in development, a better definition and comprehension of the complex pathophysiology of cardiac damage in FD, may lead to identify new therapeutic targets beyond storage and new therapeutic strategies.

Keywords
Fabry disease
left ventricular hypertrophy
lysosomal storage
autophagy
unfolded protein response
myocardial inflammation
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