Cardiotrophin-1 Factor

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a cardiac hypertrophic factor with cardiac myocyte protective properties. CT-1 belongs to the interleukin-6 cytokine family and acts through LIF receptor ß/glycoprotein 130 (gp130)-coupled signaling pathways.

CT-1 intracellular signaling pathways enlist kinases (ERK, MAP, JAK) but also STAT and PI3-kinase/Akt systems.

Cardiac CT-1 expression is increased by hypoxia, where it protects cardiac myocytes from ischemic injury and apoptosis.

Low oxygen tension, or Hypoxia, regulates numerous cellular and tissular functions. In cancer research, hypoxia is a key regulator of tumor development, aggressiveness and therapy resistance by acting on malignant cells and their microenvironment. Hypoxia is also involved in age-related diseases and acts through intracellular and intercellular cascade of events (exosomes, paracrine loops, angiogenesis…) (1-2).