RNA circolare specifico per i macrofagi circHIPK2, infiammazione e fibrosi dopo infarto miocardico.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Cardiac remodelling following MI is intricately linked to macrophage polarization dynamics, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. In this study, circHIPK2, a novel circRNA, was identified as being upregulated in inflammatory cardiac macrophages following MI. Its expression correlated with post-MI inflammation dynamics, suggesting a regulatory role in macrophage polarization. It was hypothesized that circHIPK2 functions as a molecular switch of macrophage polarization during MI progression. METHODS: To test this hypothesis, circHIPK2 levels were modulated in vitro using siRNA and overexpression vectors. A murine MI model with macrophage-targeted i