Connective Tissue Growth Factor Inhibition Enhances Cardiac Repair and Limits Fibrosis After Myocardial Infarction.

•To study the role of CTGF in post-MI cardiac repair and LV remodeling, we antagonized the function of CTGF with a mAb.•Treatment of mice with CTGF mAb during post-MI cardiac repair improved survival and resulted in better preserved LV systolic function.•Treatment with CTGF mAb during post-MI LV remodeling reduced the heart weight to body weight ratio, LV mass, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and fibrosis in the remote nonischemic myocardium.•CTGF mAb treatment induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation in ischemic hearts in vivo and in cultured human cardiac fibroblasts.•In conclusion, treatment of mice with CTGF mAb in a model of MI enhances cardiac repair and reduces adverse post-MI LV remodeling.