In our latest episode, Associate Editor Dr. John Orlowski (McGill University) interviews Dr. Matthias A Hediger (University of Bern) about the new Review article by Gyimesi et al. published in Physiological Reviews on the intracies of a superfamily of membrane solute carriers that is critically important to our understanding of human health and disease. This extensive Review contains over 3500 citations describing the superfamily of solute carriers the authors refer to as “The SLC-ome.” These SLCs comprise the largest group of membrane transport proteins encoded by the human genome and are responsible for moving numerous solutes and other essential biological compounds in and out of cells. Ready to learn more about how the SLC-ome is essential to mediating the movement of nutrients, electrolytes, metabolites and other molecules, such as pharmacological drugs, across cellular and organellar membranes? Listen now to learn more.

Gergely Gyimesi, Susan Tweedie, Elspeth Bruford, and Matthias A Hediger The SLC-ome of membrane transport: From molecular discovery to physiology and clinical applications Physiological Reviews, published September 30, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00001.2024

What is the difference between forward and reverse cardio-oncology? In our latest episode, Deputy Editor Dr. Carol Ann Remme (University of Amsterdam) interviews Dr. Rudolf de Boer (Erasmus Medical Center) about the new Review article by Meijers et al. Forward cardio-oncology focuses on cardiotoxicity and cardiac damage due to anti-cancer therapies in patients with prevalent cancer. In contrast, reverse cardio-oncology describes the phenomenon that cancer is more often discovered in patients with prevalent cardiovascular disease. In the more established field of forward cardio-oncology, the focus has been on the diverse array of anti-cancer drugs used to treat different types of cancer that are associated with wide-ranging cardiotoxic effects, such as atrial fibrillation and venous embolism. The developing field of reverse cardio-oncology was launched by initial observations made in clinical registries where the incidence of cancer was common among patients with heart failure. Clinical observations led to the development of murine models of cancer which found the presence of heart failure accelerated tumor growth and considered possible pro-oncogenic factors such as cytokines and extracellular vesicles, along with the microbiome and the immune system. One multifactorial disease is often clinically associated with another multifactorial disease, and underlying physiological mechanisms are complex and multifactorial as well. To learn more, listen now.

Wouter C. Meijers, Joseph Pierre Aboumsallem, Alexander R. Lyon, Javid Moslehi, and Rudolf A. de Boer Forward and reverse cardio-oncology Physiological Reviews, published September 22, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00041.2024

What role does inflammation play in atherosclerosis? In our latest episode of The Physiological Reviews Podcast, Dr. Carol Ann Remme talks with authors Dr. Esther Lutgens (Mayo Clinic) and Dr. Claudia Monaco (University of Oxford) about their recent Review on immunotherapy for atherosclerosis. The authors discuss the network of multiple immune cell types and subsets of the innate and adaptive immune system that occupy arteries. In addition, Monaco et al. discuss local inflammation in the arterial wall or plaque compared to systemic inflammation. The authors also discuss atherosclerosis as a process of aging, rather than as a disease. What is the holy grail of safe immunotherapeutic approaches and the future of personalized medicine for atherosclerosis? Listen now to learn more.

Claudia Monaco, Coleen A. McNamara, Bram Slütter, Amanda C. Foks, Stefan Bekiranov, Willem J.M. Mulder, Isabel Gonçalves, and Esther Lutgens Immunotherapy for atherosclerosis Physiological Reviews, published May 21, 2025. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2024