Fiat lux in understanding cardiac pacing, resynchronization and signalling by way of optogenetics

摘要

Multiple cell types and complex signalling cascades control the generation and regularity of the heartbeat. Understandingtheirconcerted operation in vivo is a challenge that necessitates new technical tools. Optogenetics uses genetically encoded light-sensitive proteins to both actuate and/or sense fast biological processes in cells, tissues, and in behaving animals. The use of light and light-sensitive biological elements, i.e. the 'optical' aspect of this approach, enables remote, spatio-temporally precise probing and control; the 'genetic' addressing confers cell specificity. While the utility of this technology has been fully embraced in neuroscience research, its extension to the cardiovascular field has been rather slow. Two recent papers in this journal-by Beiert et al. and by Nussinovitch et al.-further contribute to the budding field of cardiac optogenetics.