U-CARS 2024

On behalf of the U-CARS symposium planning committee, it was our great pleasure to host the 12th Annual Utah Cardiac Recovery Symposium (U-CARS) on February 8-9, 2024.

The objective of this conference was to bring thought leaders together to exchange ideas, debate paradigms, and share information directly focused on issues related to myocardial recovery and regeneration.  Topics expanded across the basic, translational, and clinical sciences to provide a unique forum to push the field of heart recovery forward.

This year we hosted more than 800 registered participants with a broad range of national and international speakers. 

Thursday, February 8, 2024 (all times MST)

7.00-8.00am. Breakfast 

8.00-8.15am. Introductory Remarks

8.15-9.45am. Session 1: Innovation in heart failure and cardiomyopathies
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Robin Shaw, MD/PhD, U of U; TingTing Hong, PhD, U of U; Martin Tristani-Firouzi, MD, Primary Children’s/U of U

1. Application of genetic discoveries to population health. Kirk Knowlton, MD, Intermountain
2. Dilated cardiomyopathy genetics and myocardial recovery. Ray Hershberger,MD, Ohio State University
3. Transcriptional regulation of cardiomyocyte renewal: from mechanism to therapy. Hesham Sadek, MD/PhD, UTSW
4. Interrogating cellular social interactions and specialization of cardiac cell types to construct and remodel the human heart. Neil Chi, MD/PhD, UCSD

(17 min talk + 5 min discussion each)

9.45-10.45am. Keynote address
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Writing the Language of the Heart with CRISPR.
Eric Olson, PhD, UTSW, Dallas, Texas  

10:45-11:00am. Break

11:00am-12:15pm. Session 2: Cardiac metabolism and myocardial function
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Sihem Boudina, PhD, U of U; Dipayan Chaudhuri, MD/PhD, U of U; Jared Rutter, PhD, U of U/HHMI

1. Branched chain amino acid (BCAA) contribution to cardiac insulin resistance in the failing heart. Gary Lopaschuk, PhD, U of Alberta 
2. Cardiomyocyte ceramides drive diastolic heart disfunction. William Holland, PhD, U of U 
3. Rewiring endothelial sphingolipid metabolism and signaling protects from coronary atherosclerosis. Annarita Di Lorenzo, PhD, Cornell

(20 min talk + 5 min discussion each)

12.15-1.45pm. Lunch 

• 12.45-1.15pm Industry Theater (Non-CME) 

1. Abbott - Heart failure disease state or symptoms - Embracing an oncologic equipoise. (Ballroom)
   Phil Adamson, MD, Abbott Healthcare
   Chairs: A.G. Kfoury, MD, Intermountain; Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, U of U
2.  AstraZeneca - A treatment option for patients with heart failure. (Amphitheater)
   Paul Tomasic, MD, MS, FACP, FACE, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
   Chairs: Josef Stehlik, MD, U of U; Eleni Tseliou, MD, U of U
   

1.45-3.45pm. Session 3: Myocardial Improvement and Heart Failure Remission
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Ulrich Jorde, MD, Montefiore/Einstein; Bojan Vrtovec, MD/PhD, Ljublijana University, Slovenia; Ashwin Lal, MD, Primary Children's

State-of-the-art lecture: GDMT and HF with improved/recovered ejection fraction: knowns and unknowns in 2024. Clyde Yancy, MD, Northwestern

1. Echocardiographic changes during chronic MCS therapy and their impact on outcomes. Jerry Estep, MD, Cleveland Clinic Florida 
2. INTERMACS studies: incidence of echocardiographic cardiac recovery is many times higher than the LVAD weaning incidence. What are the causes of underutilization of LVAD weaning for cardiac recovery and how to address them? Manreet Kanwar, MD, Allegheny 
3. ACTION Pediatric Network: children in need for advanced HF therapies – what are their options? Angela Lorts, MD, Cincinnati Children’s/U of Cincinnati
4. LVAD-mediated myocardial recovery – surgical perspectives. Craig Selzman, MD, U of U
5. Translational and clinical future directions. Stavros Drakos, MD/PhD, U of U

(12 min talk + 5 min discussion each)

3.45-4.30pm. Session 4 - Debate
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Yaron Barac, MD/PhD, Tel Aviv University; Abdallah Kfoury, MD, Intermountain; Benjamin Sun, MD, Minneapolis Heart Institute

35yo patient with advanced non-ischemic cardiomyopathy in need for advanced therapies:

Option 1: Transplant Directly. Kelly Schlendorf, MD, Vanderbilt

Option 2: LVAD as bridge. Mandeep Mehra, MD, BWH 

The speakers will discuss additional clinical characteristics such as GMDT naïve or intolerant or on minimal GDMT, duration of HF history, spectrum of ages and other; and how this variability may further inform the potential therapeutic options.

(15 min each talk + followed by 10 min panel discussion)

4.30-4.45pm. Break

4.45-6.00pm. Session 5: Improving the Cardiac Structure and Function in Cardiomyopathies: Lessons Learned and Future Directions
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Roberta Florido, MD, U of U; Line Kemeyou, MD, U of U; Omar Wever Pinzon, MD, U of U

1. Inherited cardiomyopathies, genetic predisposition and myocardial recovery. JB Durand, MD U of Texas/MD Anderson
2. Disease modification in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: where are we and where are we going. Carolyn Ho, Brigham and Women’s/Harvard
3. Cardiac sarcoidosis and myocardial improvement lessons learned and future directions. David Birnie, U of Ottawa

(15 min talk + 10 min discussion each)

6.00-7.00pm. Featured Abstracts Poster Session (Non-CME)

7.00-10.00pm. Symposium Gala Dinner Reception
Ken Garff Red Zone, South Tower, level 1 (located on south end of Rice Eccles Stadium)
451 S 1400 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Get directions HERE

Friday, February 9, 2024 (all times MST)

7.00-8.00am. Breakfast 

• 7.00-7.30am Industry Theater (Non-CME)

1. CVRx - Barostim in the Heart Failure Cardiologist's Toolbox. (Ballroom)
   Rich Shelton, MD, Uof U/ SLC VA; Joseph Rahman, MD, PIH Health 
   Chairs: Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, U of U; Thomas Hanff, MD, U of U
2. Bristol Myers Squibb - Redefining the Treatment Landscape of Symptomatic NYHA Class II-III Obstructive HCM With Camzyos, the First and Only FDA-Approved Cardiac Myosin Inhibitor. (Amphitheater)
   David Hinchman, MD, Cardiologist, High Desert Heart & Vascular
   Chairs: Aysha Amjad, MD, Intermountain; Josef Stehlik, MD, U of U

8.00-10.30am. Session 6: Featured Research Presentations 
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Spencer Carter, MD, U of U; Anthony Donato, PhD, U of U; Sarah Franklin, PhD, U of U; Joseph Palatinus, MD/PhD, U of U/Intermountain

(a) Featured Abstracts (8.00-9.00am) (Non-CME)

1. Uncovering the surfaceome of human cardiomyocytes reveals novel insights into regional differences in HF.  Roneldine Mesidor, BS, U of Nebraska
2. Single-cell transcriptions of myocardial remodeling after unloading in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy and HLHS. Diwakar Turaga, MD/PhD, Baylor College of Medicine/ Texas Children's Hospital
3. C-type natriuretic peptide expression and innovative therapeutics for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. David Armstrong, MD/PhD, Vanderbilt
4. C-MIC Berlin Heals device: a novel treatment for HF patients.  J. Eduardo Rame, MD, Thomas Jefferson University
5. Temporal trends in the utilization of HF medical therapy in LVAD-supported patients: a single center experience. Gregor Poglajen, MD, Ljubljana University Medical Centre, Slovenia
6. Quality dashboard using Natural Language Processing for identification of post-LVAD myocardial recovery patients. Arvind Bhimaraj, MD, Houston Methodist
7. Multicenter personalized calculator to identify advance HF therapies candidates with high potential for post-LVAD myocardial recovery. Eleni Maneta, MD, U of U
8. Left ventricular assist device explant versus decommissioning: A VAD Wean Registry analysis. Ian Nickel, MD, U of U

(5 min and 2 min discussion each)

(b) Invited Original Research (9.00-10.30am)

1. The ubiquitin system and reverse cardiac remodeling - can we control it? Yaron Barac, MD/PhD, Tel Aviv University, Israel
2. Reversing heart failure with ketones: current update.  J. Eduardo Rame, MD, Jefferson Health
3. Mechanisms of RV dysfunction in advanced HFrEF. Vojtech Melenovsky, MD/PhD, IKEM, Prague, Czech Republic
4. The role of microcirculation in assessing mechanical circulatory support. Nir Uriel, MD, Columbia, NY
5. Design and testing of the 3R VIGOR implantable counter-pulsatile circulatory assist system. Steven Tsui, MD, Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, England
6. Report from the international multicenter VAD WEAN Registry. Snehal Patel, MD, Montefiore/ Einstein

(10 min and 3 min discussion each)

10.30-10.45am. Break

10.45-12.30 pm Session 7: Acute Heart Failure and Shock
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Anna Ciullo, MD, U of U; Tom Hanff, MD, U of U; Joseph Tonna, MD, U of U

State-of-the-art lecture: Cardiac arrest toll in 2024 – how to build a large-scale life-saving program?  (20 min talk and 10 min discussion) Demetris Yannopoulos, U of Minnesota (20 min talk and 10 min discussion)

Debate: Temporary MCS is an effective therapeutic approach in cardiogenic shock. 

Pro: Navin Kapur, MD, Tufts

Con: David Morrow, Brigham and Women’s/Harvard

(15 min each and 15 min discussion)

Post-debate case Anantha Madgula, MD, Allegheny Pittsburgh (10min + 5 min discussion)

Bonus talk: Cardiogenic shock: everything works but nothing works - lessons from Taylor Swift and colleagues. David Baran, MD, Cleveland Clinic Florida (15 min) 

12.30-2.00pm Lunch 

• 1.00-1.30 Industry Theater (Non-CME) 

1. Abiomed - Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support - Insights into Heart Recovery. (Ballroom)
   Navin Kapur, MD, Tufts; Rohan Goswami, MD, Mayo Clinic; Alan Gass, MD, Westchester
   Chairs: Craig Selzman, MD, U of U; Stavros Drakos, MD, PhD, U of U
2. Kiniksa - Breaking the Cycle of Recurrent Pericarditis. (Amphitheater)
   Ajit Raisinghani, MD, UCSD
   Chairs: John Ryan, MD, U of U; McHale Anderson,MD, U of U

2.00pm – 4.00pm Session 8: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to Reverse Remodeling
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Chairs: Vojtech Melenovsky, MD/PhD, IKEM, Prague, Czech Republic; Sarah Pereira, MD, U of U; Nir Uriel, MD, Columbia

State-of-the-art lecture: Challenging the revascularization paradigm in chronic coronary artery disease with or without heart failure. Torsten Doenst, MD/PhD, Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena, Germany (20 min and 10 min discussion)

1. Transcatheter ventriculoplasty: update from the CORCINCH-HF study. Ulrich Jorde, MD, Montefiore/Einstein 
2. Mitral valve interventions and LV reverse remodeling. Richa Agarwal, MD, Duke
3. Tricuspid valve interventions and RV reverse remodeling. Brian Whisenant, MD, Intermountain
4. Reverse remodeling post TAVR: insights from pressure-volume loop studies and other modalities. Fred Welt, MD, U of U

(15 min talk and 5 min discussion each)

4.00-4.15pm Break

4.15-6.00pm Session 9: Interesting Cases – Interactive Discussion
VIEW RECORDING HERE
Discussants Panel: Rami Alharethi, MD, Intermountain; Jacob Fetzer, PA-C, U of U; Matthew Goodwin, MD, U of U, Daniel Gutteridge, MD, Intermountain; Marisca Nelson, RN, U of U; Kevin Shah, MD, U of U; Kathleen Stoddard, RN, U of U; Anwar Tandar, MD, U of U

1. 63yo, nonischemic cardiomyopathy and LVAD decommissioning. Melana Yuzefpolskaya, MD, Columbia
2. 43yo, profound cardiogenic shock case. Laura Dichiacchio, MD, U of U 
3. 65yo, ischemic cardiomyopathy and myocardial recovery/remission. Alison Brann, MD, U of U
4. 43yo, cardiac sarcoidosis and myocardial recovery/remission. Lina Brinker, MD, U of U 

(15 min presentation and 10 min discussion each)