Research progress on the role of CaMKII in heart disease

In the heart, Ca²⁺ participates in electrical activity and myocardial contraction, which is closely related to the generation of action potential and excitation contraction coupling (ECC) and plays an important role in various signal cascades and regulates different physiological processes. In the Ca²⁺ related physiological activities, CaMKII is a key downstream regulator, involving autophosphorylation and post-translational modification, and plays an important role in the excitation contraction coupling and relaxation events of cardiomyocytes. This paper reviews the relationship between CaMKII and various substances in the pathological process of myocardial apoptosis and necrosis, myocardial hypertrophy and arrhythmia, and what roles it plays in the development of disease in complex networks. This paper also introduces the drugs targeting at CaMKII to treat heart disease.