Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026
15:28
Mutagenesis and Functional Analysis of Ion Channels Heterologously Expressed in Mammalian Cells
Published on: October 1, 2010
18.0K
Using iPSC Models to Probe Regulation of Cardiac Ion Channel Function
Arne A N Bruyneel1, Wesley L McKeithan2, Dries A M Feyen2
1Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1651 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, CA, 94305, USA. abruynee@stanford.edu.
Current Cardiology Reports
|May 27, 2018
Summary
New research explores molecular mechanisms behind heart rhythm disorders. Advances in stem cell technology and gene editing offer novel therapeutic targets for arrhythmias, improving treatment for heart failure patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Molecular Cardiology
- Genetics of Arrhythmias
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death, with ventricular arrhythmias a primary cause of sudden cardiac death in heart failure patients.
- Current anti-arrhythmic drugs have limitations and can be proarrhythmic.
- Mutations in non-ion channel proteins and altered ion channel regulation contribute to arrhythmia susceptibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on molecular mechanisms of arrhythmia susceptibility.
- To discuss technological advances for discovering new therapeutic targets for heart rhythm diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature.
- Discussion of emerging technologies including induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, gene editing, functional genomics, and physiological screening platforms.
Main Results:
- Identified non-ion channel proteins and ion channel regulatory mechanisms as key factors in arrhythmia development.
- Highlighted the potential of novel technologies for identifying new therapeutic targets.
Conclusions:
- Understanding molecular mechanisms and leveraging new technologies are crucial for developing effective treatments for congenital and acquired arrhythmias.
- Future drug development can target novel pathways for improved cardiac rhythm management.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Ion Channels
91.5K
The movement of ions like sodium, potassium, and calcium into and out of the cell is essential to maintain the electrochemical gradient in living cells. The ion channels—a class of membrane transport proteins—help maintain this ionic gradient for the smooth functioning of physiological activities such as maintaining cell size and volume, conducting nerve impulses, and gas and nutrient exchange.
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
Ion channels are specialized integral membrane proteins on the plasma membrane that allow...
91.5K
01:24Non-gated Ion Channels
8.3K
Ion channels are specialized proteins on the plasma membrane that allow charged ions to pass down their electrochemical gradient. Their main function is to maintain the membrane potential which is critical for cell viability. These channels are either gated or non-gated and can transport more than a thousand ions within milliseconds for the cellular event to occur.
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
Compared to the gated ion channels, the non-gated channels, also known as leakage or passive channels, have no gating mechanism....
8.3K
01:12Mechanically-gated Ion Channels
7.8K
Mechanically-gated ion channels are proteins found in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cell membranes that open in response to mechanical stress. Tension, compression, swelling, and shear stress can alter the conformation of the protein, opening a transmembrane channel that allows the passage of ions for signal transmission. In eukaryotes, mechanically-gated channels are distributed in several regions like the neurons, lungs, skin, bladder, and heart, where they play critical roles in numerous...
7.8K
01:19Ligand-gated Ion Channels
14.4K
Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins with a channel for ions to pass through and a binding site for a ligand. The channel opens only when a ligand attaches to the binding site.
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
Three Subfamilies of Ligand-gated Ion Channels
Ligand-gated ion channels fall into three subfamilies. The 'Cys-loop' includes the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. The second one is the 'Pore-loop' channels that...
14.4K
01:26Voltage-gated Ion Channels
11.0K
Voltage-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that open and close in response to changes in the membrane potential. They are present on the membranes of all electrically excitable cells such as neurons, heart, and muscle cells.
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
Generally, all voltage-gated ion channels have a 'voltage-sensing domain' that spans the lipid bilayer. The charged residues in the sensor move in response to the membrane potential changes that open the channel allowing ions movement. There are several types of...
11.0K
01:21G-Protein Gated Ion Channels
5.8K
GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision. The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory...
Sensory...
5.8K