Biophysical Society TV in partnership with The Biophysical Society debuted at the 2014 annual meeting in San Fransisco.
Along with highlights from the event and interviews with key speakers, we produced films for organizations working in the field of biophysics highlighting the great work that is being done both nationally and internationally.
Cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure remain the #1 killer without effective drug therapy despite decades of research. Why? The heart is a dynamic organ; the cardiomyocytes excitation-contraction is controlled by 3 dynamic systems – the electrical, the Ca2+ signaling, and the contractile system. Previous research and drug development often targeted a single molecule or a single system. However, because of the feedback interactions between these non-linear dynamic systems, a change in one system can engender unexpected changes in all systems, causing the drug effect to be unpredictable. We envision that development of effective antiarrhythmic drug therapies require a paradigmatic shift from targeting a single molecule or a single system to a new strategy that embraces the integrated behaviour of the 3 dynamical systems. Our interdisciplinary team combines modelling with experimental investigations using molecular and cellular cardiology, chemistry, physics and mathematics to advance research in 3 aspects:
(1) developing innovative technologies;
(2) studying the fundamental mechanisms of mechano-chemo-electro-transduction in cardiac muscle;
(3) developing new drug therapies to combat heart diseases.
American Historical Association