The Cardiac Electrophysiology Web Lab

Area of Science:

• Computational biology
• Biophysics
• Cardiovascular research

Background:

• Computational modeling of cardiac cellular electrophysiology is well-established, with numerous models available.
• A challenge exists in assessing and comparing these models' hypotheses and behaviors.
• Selecting appropriate models for new studies or understanding model behavior in different scenarios is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create an online resource for characterizing and comparing electrophysiological cell models.
• To facilitate the assessment of model hypotheses and emergent behaviors.
• To provide a user-friendly platform for accessing and comparing simulation results.

Main Methods:

• Separating mathematical model details (ordinary differential equations) from experimental protocols.
• Encoding models and protocols in computer-readable formats (CellML).
• Developing a simulation tool and a website (https://chaste.cs.ox.ac.uk/WebLab) for virtual experiments and result comparison.

Main Results:

• The resource includes 36 models and 23 protocols covering various electrophysiological scenarios.
• Scenarios include current-voltage curves, action potential properties, restitution, channel block, and ion concentration effects.
• The system is publicly available, open source, and free to use.

Conclusions:

• The online resource enables informed decisions when comparing competing hypotheses using cardiac electrophysiology models.
• New models can be uploaded for evaluation against existing protocols.
• The platform encourages community involvement for future development and protocol additions.