Development of the Cardiac Conduction System

The heart beats an estimated three billion times during the lifespan of the average person. Each of these cycles of contraction depends on specialized cardiac tissues involved in the rhythmic generation and coordinated spread of electrical excitation. Collectively, these tissues are known as the pacemaking and conduction system—the PCS.
Since the PCS is vital for generating and synchronizing the heartbeat, its dysfunction can be a direct cause of cardiac conduction disturbance, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Recent advances have meant that the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the development of the PCS in tissues are now starting to be understood. This book brings together a group of leading researchers to discuss emerging concepts in this exciting field. In particular, the new understanding of the cellular origin and the molecular induction of PCS tissues during embryogenesis, together with the burgeoning technology of stem cell manipulation, provides the foundation for tissue engineering, replacement and repair of PCS tissues in humans. The book also identifies therapeutic targets arising from basic discoveries in the developmental biology of cardiac pacemaking and conduction tissues.

Spis treści:
Chair′s Introduction (R. Marwald).
The morphology of the cardiac condunction system (R. Anderson and S. Ho).
Development of the cardiac conduction system: a matter of chamber development (A. Moorman and V. Crhistoffels).
Mouse models for cardiac conduction system development (A. Wessels, et al.).
Developmental transitions in cardiac conduction (M. Watanabe, et al.).
Gap junctional connexins in developing mouse cardiac conduction system (L. Miquerol, et al.).
His–Purkinje lineages and development (R. Gourdie, et al.).
The role of neural crest and epicardium–derived cells in conduction system formation (A. Gittenberger–de Groot, et al.).
Indu ction and patterning of the Purkinje fibre network (T. Mikawa, et al.).
The oldest, toughest cells in the heart (R. Thompson, et al.).
Transcriptional regulation in the mouse atrioventricular conduction system (A. Edwards, et al.).
Pattterning of the mouse conduction system (S. Rentschler, et al.).
Clinical pathology of the cardiac conduction system (S. Ho).
Cardiac conduction and arrhythmia: insights from Nkx2:5 mutations in mouse and humans (P. Jay, et al.).
The genetic origin of atrio ventricular conduction disturbance in humans (D. Benson).
Defects in cardiac conduction system lineages and malignant arrhythmias: developmental pathways and disease (T. St. Armand et al).
Final general discussion.
Index of contributors.
Subject index.

Okładka tylna:
The heart beats an estimated three billion times during the lifespan of the average person. Each of these cycles of contraction depends on specialized cardiac tissues involved in the rhythmic generation and coordinated spread of electrical excitation. Collectively, these tissues are known as the pacemaking and conduction system—the PCS.
Since the PCS is vital for generating and synchronizing the heartbeat, its dysfunction can be a direct cause of cardiac conduction disturbance, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Recent advances have meant that the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the development of the PCS in tissues are now starting to be understood. This book brings together a group of leading researchers to discuss emerging concepts in this exciting field. In particular, the new understanding of the cellular origin and the molecular induction of PCS tissues during embryogenesis, together with the burgeoning technology of stem cell manipulation, provides the foundation for tissue engineering, replacement and repair of PCS tissues in humans. The book also identifies therapeutic targets arising from basic disco veries in the developmental biology of cardiac pacemaking and conduction tissues.