Deep-learning analysis of 3D microarchitectural remodeling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Wei, Eric Q; Beyer, Martin; Brown, Kemar J; Bansbach, Alexander J; Gorham, Joshua M; McDonough, Barbara; Chen, Huachen; Khoramjoo, Mobin et al. · Science · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic heart disease defined by unexplained cardiac wall thickening, is a leading cause of sudden death worldwide. However, the three-dimensional organization of cardiac tissue underlying left ventricular hypertrophy remains poorly understood. We developed CaMVIA-3D, a deep-learning volumetric imaging and analysis pipeline to characterize cardiac microarchitecture. Analysis of tissues from HCM hearts revealed genotype-specific differences in cardiomyocyte volume, morphology, and extracellular volume, with pathogenic variants exhibiting greater concentric cellular hypertrophy and disarray and variant-negative cases showing predominant fibrosis. Longitudinal profiling of a pig HCM model revealed early-onset fibrosis preceding cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. Integrating transcriptomic and morphologic changes, we identified genes associated with cellular and extracellular remodeling. These findings define genotype-specific microstructural differences in HCM, offering insights to improve diagnostics and targeted therapies.

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