Optogenetic Modulation of Heart Rate

The heart beats 3-4 billion times in a person’s lifetime, making it the only part of the body that continues to work – without a break – for one’s entire existence! It is a specialized region within the heart (the sinoatrial node) that initiates each heartbeat. However, in some people the sinoatrial node malfunctions, requiring implantation of an artificial pacemaker that electrically stimulates the heart. Although they are commonly used, electrical pacemakers have a great disadvantage: they are only able to INCREASE (not decrease) heart rate. In this Mitacs project, my goal is to evaluate the potential of using light for pacing the heart to overcome this limitation. The research team at the Institute for Experimental Cardiovascular Medicine in Germany have a genetically-modified mouse that has a light-activated ion channel present in its heart tissue. Using focused light timed with the hearts own electrical activity, we aim to determine if we can selectively increase or decrease heart rate in these mice. This is a crucial first step for understanding the future therapeutic potential of using light to pace the heart in patients requiring artificial pacemakers.

Faculty Supervisor:

T. Alexander Quinn

Student:

Partner:

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Dalhousie University

Program: