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Baines O, Sha R, Kalla M, Holmes AP, Efimov IR, Pavlovic D, O’Shea C. Optical mapping and optogenetics in cardiac electrophysiology research and therapy: a state-of-the-art review. Europace 2024; 26:euae017. [PMID: 38227822 PMCID: PMC10847904 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
State-of-the-art innovations in optical cardiac electrophysiology are significantly enhancing cardiac research. A potential leap into patient care is now on the horizon. Optical mapping, using fluorescent probes and high-speed cameras, offers detailed insights into cardiac activity and arrhythmias by analysing electrical signals, calcium dynamics, and metabolism. Optogenetics utilizes light-sensitive ion channels and pumps to realize contactless, cell-selective cardiac actuation for modelling arrhythmia, restoring sinus rhythm, and probing complex cell-cell interactions. The merging of optogenetics and optical mapping techniques for 'all-optical' electrophysiology marks a significant step forward. This combination allows for the contactless actuation and sensing of cardiac electrophysiology, offering unprecedented spatial-temporal resolution and control. Recent studies have performed all-optical imaging ex vivo and achieved reliable optogenetic pacing in vivo, narrowing the gap for clinical use. Progress in optical electrophysiology continues at pace. Advances in motion tracking methods are removing the necessity of motion uncoupling, a key limitation of optical mapping. Innovations in optoelectronics, including miniaturized, biocompatible illumination and circuitry, are enabling the creation of implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators with optoelectrical closed-loop systems. Computational modelling and machine learning are emerging as pivotal tools in enhancing optical techniques, offering new avenues for analysing complex data and optimizing therapeutic strategies. However, key challenges remain including opsin delivery, real-time data processing, longevity, and chronic effects of optoelectronic devices. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in optical mapping and optogenetics and outlines the promising future of optics in reshaping cardiac electrophysiology and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Baines
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Rina Sha
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Manish Kalla
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Andrew P Holmes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Igor R Efimov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Davor Pavlovic
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Christopher O’Shea
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Science, University of Birmingham, Edgbastion, Wolfson Drive, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Leemann S, Schneider-Warme F, Kleinlogel S. Cardiac optogenetics: shining light on signaling pathways. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:1421-1437. [PMID: 38097805 PMCID: PMC10730638 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-023-02892-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In the early 2000s, the field of neuroscience experienced a groundbreaking transformation with the advent of optogenetics. This innovative technique harnesses the properties of naturally occurring and genetically engineered rhodopsins to confer light sensitivity upon target cells. The remarkable spatiotemporal precision offered by optogenetics has provided researchers with unprecedented opportunities to dissect cellular physiology, leading to an entirely new level of investigation. Initially revolutionizing neuroscience, optogenetics quickly piqued the interest of the wider scientific community, and optogenetic applications were expanded to cardiovascular research. Over the past decade, researchers have employed various optical tools to observe, regulate, and steer the membrane potential of excitable cells in the heart. Despite these advancements, achieving control over specific signaling pathways within the heart has remained an elusive goal. Here, we review the optogenetic tools suitable to control cardiac signaling pathways with a focus on GPCR signaling, and delineate potential applications for studying these pathways, both in healthy and diseased hearts. By shedding light on these exciting developments, we hope to contribute to the ongoing progress in basic cardiac research to facilitate the discovery of novel therapeutic possibilities for treating cardiovascular pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siri Leemann
- Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Franziska Schneider-Warme
- Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Heart Center Freiburg - Bad Krozingen, and Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Sonja Kleinlogel
- Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Translational Medicine Neuroscience, Basel, Switzerland
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Sung YL, Wang TW, Lin TT, Lin SF. Optogenetics in cardiology: methodology and future applications. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARRHYTHMIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s42444-022-00060-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractOptogenetics is an emerging biological approach with the unique capability of specific targeting due to the precise light control with high spatial and temporal resolution. It uses selected light wavelengths to control and modulate the biological functions of cells, tissues, and organ levels. Optogenetics has been instrumental in different biomedical applications, including neuroscience, diabetes, and mitochondria, based on distinctive optical biomedical effects with light modulation. Nowadays, optogenetics in cardiology is rapidly evolving for the understanding and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Several in vitro and in vivo research for cardiac optogenetics demonstrated visible progress. The optogenetics technique can be applied to address critical cardiovascular problems such as heart failure and arrhythmia. To this end, this paper reviews cardiac electrophysiology and the technical progress about experimental and clinical cardiac optogenetics and provides the background and evolution of cardiac optogenetics. We reviewed the literature to demonstrate the servo type, transfection efficiency, signal recording, and heart disease targets in optogenetic applications. Such literature review would hopefully expedite the progress of optogenetics in cardiology and further expect to translate into the clinical terminal in the future.
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Cumberland MJ, Riebel LL, Roy A, O’Shea C, Holmes AP, Denning C, Kirchhof P, Rodriguez B, Gehmlich K. Basic Research Approaches to Evaluate Cardiac Arrhythmia in Heart Failure and Beyond. Front Physiol 2022; 13:806366. [PMID: 35197863 PMCID: PMC8859441 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.806366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with heart failure often develop cardiac arrhythmias. The mechanisms and interrelations linking heart failure and arrhythmias are not fully understood. Historically, research into arrhythmias has been performed on affected individuals or in vivo (animal) models. The latter however is constrained by interspecies variation, demands to reduce animal experiments and cost. Recent developments in in vitro induced pluripotent stem cell technology and in silico modelling have expanded the number of models available for the evaluation of heart failure and arrhythmia. An agnostic approach, combining the modalities discussed here, has the potential to improve our understanding for appraising the pathology and interactions between heart failure and arrhythmia and can provide robust and validated outcomes in a variety of research settings. This review discusses the state of the art models, methodologies and techniques used in the evaluation of heart failure and arrhythmia and will highlight the benefits of using them in combination. Special consideration is paid to assessing the pivotal role calcium handling has in the development of heart failure and arrhythmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J. Cumberland
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Leto L. Riebel
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ashwin Roy
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher O’Shea
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew P. Holmes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Denning
- Stem Cell Biology Unit, Biodiscovery Institute, British Heart Foundation Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Paulus Kirchhof
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- University Heart and Vascular Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Blanca Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Odening KE, Gomez AM, Dobrev D, Fabritz L, Heinzel FR, Mangoni ME, Molina CE, Sacconi L, Smith G, Stengl M, Thomas D, Zaza A, Remme CA, Heijman J. ESC working group on cardiac cellular electrophysiology position paper: relevance, opportunities, and limitations of experimental models for cardiac electrophysiology research. Europace 2021; 23:1795-1814. [PMID: 34313298 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euab142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of death and disability. A large number of experimental cell and animal models have been developed to study arrhythmogenic diseases. These models have provided important insights into the underlying arrhythmia mechanisms and translational options for their therapeutic management. This position paper from the ESC Working Group on Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology provides an overview of (i) currently available in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo electrophysiological research methodologies, (ii) the most commonly used experimental (cellular and animal) models for cardiac arrhythmias including relevant species differences, (iii) the use of human cardiac tissue, induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived and in silico models to study cardiac arrhythmias, and (iv) the availability, relevance, limitations, and opportunities of these cellular and animal models to recapitulate specific acquired and inherited arrhythmogenic diseases, including atrial fibrillation, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, sinus node, and conduction disorders and channelopathies. By promoting a better understanding of these models and their limitations, this position paper aims to improve the quality of basic research in cardiac electrophysiology, with the ultimate goal to facilitate the clinical translation and application of basic electrophysiological research findings on arrhythmia mechanisms and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja E Odening
- Translational Cardiology, Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.,Institute of Physiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ana-Maria Gomez
- Signaling and cardiovascular pathophysiology-UMR-S 1180, Inserm, Université Paris-Saclay, 92296 Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - Dobromir Dobrev
- Institute of Pharmacology, West German Heart and Vascular Center, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Larissa Fabritz
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Frank R Heinzel
- Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matteo E Mangoni
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Cristina E Molina
- Institute of Experimental Cardiovascular Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site, Hamburg/Kiel/Lübeck, Germany
| | - Leonardo Sacconi
- National Institute of Optics and European Laboratory for Non Linear Spectroscopy, Italy.,Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine, University Freiburg, Germany
| | - Godfrey Smith
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Milan Stengl
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Dierk Thomas
- Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders (HCR), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner Site, Heidelberg/Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antonio Zaza
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milano, Italy
| | - Carol Ann Remme
- Department of Experimental Cardiology, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jordi Heijman
- Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Abstract
The electromechanical function of the heart involves complex, coordinated activity over time and space. Life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias arise from asynchrony in these space-time events; therefore, therapies for prevention and treatment require fundamental understanding and the ability to visualize, perturb and control cardiac activity. Optogenetics combines optical and molecular biology (genetic) approaches for light-enabled sensing and actuation of electrical activity with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution and parallelism. The year 2020 marks a decade of developments in cardiac optogenetics since this technology was adopted from neuroscience and applied to the heart. In this Review, we appraise a decade of advances that define near-term (immediate) translation based on all-optical electrophysiology, including high-throughput screening, cardiotoxicity testing and personalized medicine assays, and long-term (aspirational) prospects for clinical translation of cardiac optogenetics, including new optical therapies for rhythm control. The main translational opportunities and challenges for optogenetics to be fully embraced in cardiology are also discussed.
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Grassam-Rowe A, Ou X, Lei M. Novel cardiac cell subpopulations: Pnmt-derived cardiomyocytes. Open Biol 2020; 10:200095. [PMID: 32810421 PMCID: PMC7479933 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.200095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diversity among highly specialized cells underlies the fundamental biology of complex multi-cellular organisms. One of the essential scientific questions in cardiac biology has been to define subpopulations within the heart. The heart parenchyma comprises specialized cardiomyocytes (CMs). CMs have been canonically classified into a few phenotypically diverse subpopulations largely based on their function and anatomic localization. However, there is growing evidence that CM subpopulations are in fact numerous, with a diversity of genetic origin and putatively different roles in physiology and pathophysiology. In this chapter, we introduce a recently discovered CM subpopulation: phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase (Pnmt)-derived cardiomyocytes (PdCMs). We discuss: (i) canonical classifications of CM subpopulations; (ii) discovery of PdCMs; (iii) Pnmt and the role of catecholamines in the heart; similarities and dissimilarities of PdCMs and canonical CMs; and (iv) putative functions of PdCMs in both physiological and pathological states and future directions, such as in intra-cardiac adrenergic signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xianghong Ou
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of the Ministry of Education and Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 6400, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Lei
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of the Ministry of Education and Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 6400, People's Republic of China
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