Light-enabled gene control for cardiac applications

该项目将证明光激活的基因模式可以控制人类心脏起搏器区域。将研究与房颤有关的关键罪犯区域的光激活抑制。在使用光遗传学的自动化高通量全光学心脏电生理平台上展示了令人兴奋的初步结果，并将被采用。该项目建立在PI在心肌细胞功能光学控制方面的光遗传学工作的基础上，通过整合基因编辑工具（CRISPR）来实现基因表达的光学操作。使用CRISPR作用的光学定位将用于修饰心脏组织构建体中的局部基因表达。该提案涵盖了心脏起搏领域的未开发领域，具有重大的变革潜力。

This project will demonstrate that light-enabled gene patterning can control the human cardiac pacemaker region. Light-enabled inhibition of key culprit regions implicated in atrial fibrillation will be investigated. Exciting preliminary results on automated high-throughput all optical cardiac electrophysiology platforms using optogenetics was demonstrated and will be employed. This project builds upon the PI's optogenetic work in optical control of cardiomyocyte function by incorporating gene editing tools (CRISPR) to allow optical manipulation of gene expression. The optical localization, using CRISPR action, will be used to modify local gene expression in cardiac tissue constructs. The proposal covers unexplored territory in cardiac pacing and has significant transformative potential.