New Initiatives to Improve the Rigor and Reproducibility of Articles Published in Circulation Research

Practical guidelines for rigor and reproducibility in preclinical and clinical studies on cardioprotection

“…Despite extension of the concept to ischemic postconditioning [460] and remote ischemic conditioning [202, 344] and literally thousands of experimental studies in various species and models which identified a multitude of signaling steps [199], so far there is only a single and very recent study, which has unequivocally translated cardioprotection to improved clinical outcome as the primary endpoint in patients [155, 200]. Many potential reasons for this disappointing lack of clinical translation of cardioprotection have been proposed, including lack of rigor and reproducibility in preclinical studies [54, 195], and poor design and conduct of clinical trials [196, 206]. There is, however, universal agreement that robust preclinical data are a mandatory prerequisite to initiate a meaningful clinical trial.…”

A novel method for high precision aortic constriction that allows for generation of specific cardiac phenotypes in mice

“…Increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying pathological cardiac remodelling is central to the development of novel HF therapies, 3 and reproducible in vivo experimental systems that allow for thorough exploration of mechanisms are required. 4,5 Surgically induced HF models are widely used in cardiac research. For decades suture-based thoracic aortic constriction (TAC) has been the preferred method for increasing LV afterload in rodents.…”

Checklists and Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes

“…9 More recently, Circulation Research has begun a similar process for their articles, including different types of checklists for various categories of research. 10 The rest of the American Heart Association journals, including Circulation, will soon follow for their basic science articles. In the words of Roberto Bolli, the Circulation Research Editor-in-Chief: "There has been enough discussion; now it is time for action.…”