Repetitive levosimendan infusions for patients with advanced chronic heart failure in the vulnerable post-discharge period.

Hospitalization for acute heart failure (HF) is associated with a substantial morbidity burden and with associated healthcare costs and an increased mortality risk. However, few if any major medical innovations have been witnessed in this area in recent times. Levosimendan is a first-in-class calcium sensitizer and potassium channel opener indicated for the management of acute HF.

Efficient therapy of ischaemic lesions with VEGF121-fibrin in an animal model of systemic sclerosis.

Background: In systemic sclerosis (SSc), chronic and uncontrolled overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) results in chaotic vessels, and intractable fingertip ulcers. Vice versa, VEGF is a potent mediator of angiogenesis if temporally and spatially controlled. We have addressed this therapeutic dilemma in SSc by a novel approach using a VEGF121 variant that covalently binds to fibrin and gets released on demand by cellular enzymatic activity.