CD44 and heart failure: Transcript levels of several established biomarkers, including Spp1, Sfrp1, Sfrp2, Tnc, Vim, Mmp9, and Tnfrsf1a, and several inflammatory markers that are known to be activated in heart failure, such as Cd44, Cd83, Ccl7, Irf7, and Nr4a2, were upregulated in the Myh6-McmTamDspfl/fl cardiomyocytes (Figure 7D).