Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3.2
MODELING CARDIAC FUNCTION
Raimond L. Winslow
The Center for Cardiovascular Bioinformatics and Modeling,
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and
Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland
This chapter reviews the current state of integrative modeling of the heart, focusing on
three topics. First, we review integration of experimental data into the most commonly
used class of ventricular myocyte models—common pool models. We critically assess
both the successes and failures of these models. Second, we review the formulation of a
new class of myocyte models known as local-control models. While these models are
more computationally intensive than are common pool models, they are able to capture
critically important aspects of single channel behaviors that have a profound impact on
myocyte function, and which cannot be described using common pool models. Finally,
we review how cellular models may be integrated with imaging data on heart geometry
and micro-anatomic structure to formulate computational models of cardiac ventricular
electrical conduction.
1.
INTRODUCTION
There is growing recognition that the identification of genetic and molecu-
lar building blocks from which biological systems are composed, while being
critically important, is not by itself sufficient for understanding the functional
properties of these systems. Rather, it is clear that the emergent, integrative be-
haviors of biological systems result from complex interactions between system
components, and that development/analysis of computational models based di-
rectly on experimental data provides a powerful tool for understanding relation-
ships between gene/protein expression and biological function at the level of cell
and tissue in both health and disease.
Address correspondence to: Raimond L. Winslow, PhD, Room 201B, Clark Hall, The Johns Hop-
kins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (rwinslow@bme.jhu.edu).
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