ST2: Current status

Cardiovascular diseases are leading cause of mortality and morbidity, and are responsible for 1 out of every 6 deaths in the United States.(1) Cardiac remodeling is an important determinant of long term outcomes and occurrence of heart failure (HF). Many times one requires additional tools like biomarkers to identify high risk individuals, to diagnose disease conditions accurately and to effectively prognosticate the patients. ST2 is a member of the interleukin 1 receptor family and exists in two forms, a trans-membrane receptor (ST2L) as well as a soluble decoy receptor (sST2).(2) The ligand of ST2 is Interleukin-33 (IL-33), which is involved in reducing fibrosis and hypertrophy in mechanically strained tissues.(3)