Combining wet and dry research: experience with model development for cardiac mechano-electric structure-function...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Computational Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Computational modeling has evolved significantly over 50 years for analyzing complex cardiac behavior.
• Current cardiac models represent an integrated understanding derived from decades of experimental and theoretical work.
• All models, including computational and experimental ones, are simplifications of reality, best suited for specific applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of a combined 'wet' and 'dry' research approach in computational cardiac modeling.
• To illustrate how iterative integration of experimental and computational methods enhances understanding of cardiac function.
• To highlight multi-scale studies of cardiac structure and mechano-electric function as examples.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing experimental or clinical data to build and validate computational models.
• Employing computational simulations for plausibility assessment, hypothesis generation, and prediction.
• Iteratively combining 'wet' (experimental) and 'dry' (computational) investigations to explore and expand model applicability.

Main Results:

• The combined wet/dry approach facilitates the integration of previous findings and quantitative assessment of conceptual models.
• Computational simulations aid in projecting findings across spatial and temporal scales and defining future research targets.
• This integrated approach supports a more complete and cohesive understanding of integrated biological function.

Conclusions:

• The iterative combination of experimental and computational research is crucial for advancing cardiac science.
• This synergistic approach allows for robust validation, hypothesis testing, and prediction in cardiac modeling.
• Multi-scale studies leveraging this methodology provide deeper insights into cardiac structure and mechano-electric function.