Innate immune signaling in cardiac homeostasis and cardiac injuries

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, despite the growing advances that have been made in the development of therapeutics. Almost all aspects of the pathogenesis underlying a cardiac injury are critically influenced by the inflammatory response. Over the past two decades, researchers have shown that the myocardium triggers an intense innate immune response that activates various immune effectors including the pattern recognition receptors. In this chapter, we will give an overview of the innate immune cells involved in the cardiac homeostasis and their responses after cardiac injuries, focusing on the role of innate immune signaling pathways in the progression of various cardiovascular diseases.