Cardiovascular Research

Our group studies the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac injury, repair, and regeneration in myocardial infarction and heart failure. We are particularly interested in the role of noncoding RNAs in the development and progression of heart failure. Our aim is to identify novel therapeutic approaches and biomarkers for personalized diagnostics and outcome prediction.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with heart failure representing a common endpoint of various cardiovascular conditions. Despite established pharmacological therapies, the prognosis for heart failure remains poor. A deeper understanding of the underlying pathophysiology is essential for the development of innovative treatments and diagnostic tools.

Over the past decade, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), have been recognized as key regulators of cardiovascular pathophysiology. Our current research explores the mechanisms by which miRNAs and lncRNAs regulate the development and progression of heart failure. We aim to identify and characterize novel therapeutic targets that could enhance cardiac repair and regeneration after injury. New treatment options could eventually improve the prognosis of patients with heart failure.

Our studies integrate clinical and basic cardiovascular research. We employ multi-omics analyses of heart failure patient samples to identify therapeutic targets and utilize experimental models, ranging from cardiac cell cultures to zebrafish heart failure models, to characterize the function and therapeutic potential of candidate molecules. Unlike humans, zebrafish can fully regenerate their hearts and restore cardiac function following injury, making them an excellent model organism for studying the factors that regulate heart failure development and recovery.

Our current biomarker research focuses on cardiogenic shock (CS), the most severe form of acute heart failure, which has an in-hospital mortality rate of nearly 40% despite existing treatments. There is a need for new biomarkers and machine learning tools to better phenotype the highly heterogeneous CS patient population and optimize treatment strategies accordingly. Our aim is to characterize different phenotypes of CS patients and identify phenotype-specific novel biomarkers. In our previous studies, miRNAs have demonstrated promising potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Selected publications

Segersvärd H, Sandholm N, Harjutsalo V, Tikkanen H, Kosonen R, Laine M, Tikkanen I, Groop PH, Lakkisto P; FinnDiane Study Group. Heme oxygenase-1 polymorphisms associate with ischemic cardiac complications and all-cause mortality in type 1 diabetes. Cardiovasc Diabetol 2025; 24:339

Mäntylä T, Wang C, Hänninen M, Immonen K, Jäntti T, Lassus J, Tikkanen I, Pulkki K, Devaux Y, Harjola V-P, Lakkisto P. Circulating levels of miR-20b-5p are associated with survival in cardiogenic shock. J Mol Cell Cardiol Plus 2025, 11:100284

Wang H, Siren J, Perttunen S, Immonen K, Chen YC, Narumanchi S, Kosonen R, Paavola J, Laine M, Tikkanen I, Lakkisto P. Deficiency of heme oxygenase 1a causes detrimental effects on cardiac function. J Cell Mol Med 2024; 28(7):e18243

Lakkisto P, Dalgaard LT, Belmonte T, Pinto-Sietsma SJ, Devaux Y, De Gonzalo-Calvo D. Development of circulating microRNA-based biomarkers for medical-decision making: a friendly reminder of what should NOT be done. Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci 2023; 60:141-152

Wang H, Segersvärd H, Siren J, Perttunen S, Immonen K, Kosonen R, Chen YC, Tolva J, Laivuori M, Mäyränpää MI, Kovanen PT, Sinisalo J, Laine M, Tikkanen I, Lakkisto P. Tankyrase Inhibition Attenuates Cardiac Dilatation and Dysfunction in Ischemic Heart Failure. Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23:10059

Wang C, Taskinen J, Segersvärd H, Immonen K, Kosonen R, Tolva JM, Mäyränpää MI, Kovanen PT, Olkkonen VM, Sinisalo J, Laine M, Tikkanen I, Lakkisto P. Alterations of cardiac protein kinases in cyclic nucleotide-dependent signaling pathways in human ischemic heart failure. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022, 9:919355

Hänninen M, Jäntti T, Tolppanen H, Segersvärd H, Tarvasmäki T, Lassus J, Vausort M, Devaux Y, Sionis A, Tikkanen I, Harjola V-P, Lakkisto P. Association of miR-21-5p, miR-122-5p and miR-320a-3p with 90-day mortality in cardiogenic shock. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:7925

Paavola J, Alakoski T, Ulvila J, Kilpiö T, Siren J, Perttunen S, Narumanchi S, Wang H, Lin R, Porvari K, Junttila J, Huikuri H, Immonen K, Lakkisto P, Magga J, Tikkanen I, Kerkelä R. Vezf1 regulates cardiac structure and contractile function. EBioMedicine 2020; 51:102608

Kaartokallio T, Utge S, Klemetti MM, Paananen J, Pulkki K, Romppanen J, Tikkanen I, Heinonen S, Kajantie E, Kere J, Kivinen K, Pouta A, Lakkisto P, Laivuori H. Fetal microsatellite in the heme oxygenase 1 promoter is associated with severe and early-onset pre-eclampsia. Hypertension 2018; 71: 95-102

Segersvärd H, Lakkisto P, Hänninen M, Forsten H, Siren J, Immonen K, Kosonen R, Sarparanta M, Laine M, Tikkanen I. Carbon monoxide releasing molecule improves structural and functional cardiac recovery after myocardial injury. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 818: 57-66

External funding

Aarne Koskelo Foundation
Finnish Foundation for Laboratory Medicine
Finnish Government Research Funding
Finnish Society of Clinical Chemistry
Helsinki University Hospital
Juhani Aho Foundation for Medical Research
Medical Society of Finland
Medicinska Understödsföreningen Liv och Hälsa r.f.

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X: @Lakkisto
University of Helsinki:
https://researchportal.helsinki.fi/en/persons/p%C3%A4ivi-lakkisto/
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/päivi-lakkisto-396847122