Heart Disease

The heart has a limited ability to repair itself after injury, and current therapies can only slow the resulting decline. Scripps Research and its drug discovery arm, Calibr-Skaggs, are developing small molecule drugs to regenerate damaged heart muscle by activating the body’s own repair pathways. In preclinical models of heart failure, these small molecules stimulated new cardiac tissue growth and restored cardiac function. The goal is to move beyond management to genuine repair, potentially reversing the damage and scars that heart attacks often leave behind.

Our work on the molecular mechanisms of protein misfolding led to the invention of tafamidis: the first FDA-approved therapy for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, a fatal disease caused by the aggregation of misfolded proteins in the heart. Building on this foundation, ongoing research is exploring next-generation therapies that target the full spectrum of amyloid-driven cardiac disease, including both inherited and age-related forms, to improve outcomes for a broader population of patients.

Most heart attacks are not inevitable; they are the result of risks that accumulate over years, often invisibly. Scripps Research scientists are developing genomic tools that calculate an individual’s cumulative genetic risk for coronary artery disease, enabling personalized prevention strategies that begin long before symptoms arise. By combining genetic profiles with lifestyle and biometric data, these programs are working to identify who is truly at elevated risk, ideally intervening when the potential for benefit is greatest.

Conditions like atrial fibrillation affect tens of millions of people worldwide and significantly elevate the risk of stroke, heart failure and death. Scripps Research scientists are applying genomics, AI and digital data to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of arrhythmia, developing genetic risk scores to identify susceptibility before symptoms occur and validating digital tools that can detect irregular heart rhythms in real-world settings. These approaches are laying the groundwork for earlier diagnosis and more targeted, effective treatment.

High blood pressure is the most prevalent and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet it remains under-detected and undertreated. Scripps Research scientists are validating wearable-based approaches that track physiological patterns over time, including sleep variability and nocturnal vital signs, to identify individuals at elevated risk for hypertension and related cardiovascular conditions before they are clinically apparent. These digital tools are being evaluated in decentralized study settings with the goal of reaching patients earlier and more equitably.

Digital medicine is helping transform each stage of cardiovascular care, from risk stratification and early detection to monitoring and disease management. The Scripps Research Translational Institute is integrating AI, wearable sensors, ECG data and genomic information to build tools that predict heart disease, detect arrhythmias and personalize care in ways that were not previously possible. These approaches are being validated through decentralized clinical studies involving tens of thousands of participants, with the goal of making precision cardiovascular medicine accessible at scale.