Med Res Rev. 2026 Aug 17. doi: 10.1002/med.70087. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent a compelling intersection of structural biology, systems pharmacology, and clinical medicine. They function as essential molecular regulators of cardiovascular physiology, governing processes from the initiation of cardiac rhythm in the sinoatrial node to the regulation of vascular tone. Their widespread expression in cardiac and vascular tissues, combined with their ability to integrate diverse extracellular signals, positions GPCRs as key regulators of heart rate, contractility, vascular tone, inflammation, and metabolic homeostasis. Recent advances in GPCR structural biology, coupled with mechanistic insights into G-protein- and β-arrestin-mediated signaling mechanisms, underscore their central role in both cardiovascular health and disease. Notably, dysregulation of GPCR signaling has emerged as a unifying mechanism across major cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), contributing to pathological remodeling, impaired contractile function, and maladaptive vascular responses. This review uniquely integrates GPCR structural biology, signaling dynamics, and mechanosensitive and biased signaling mechanisms within the cardiovascular system. We discuss the contributions of class A, class B, and other GPCR families to cardiovascular physiology and pathology emphasizing their relevance to the development of targeted interventions for hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, and related CVDs. Together, these insights establish a contemporary framework for advancing precision GPCR-directed therapies in CVDs. By framing these developments within a mechanistic and translational context, the review offers a timely and clinically significant resource for both basic researchers and clinicians.
PMID:42606115 | DOI:10.1002/med.70087