Development of the Cardiac Conduction System

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The heart beats an estimated three billion times during the lifespan of the average person. Each of these cycles of contraction depends on specialized cardiac tissues involved in the rhythmic generation and coordinated spread of electrical excitation. Collectively, these tissues are known as the pacemaking and conduction system--the PCS. Since the PCS is vital for generating and synchronizing the heartbeat, its dysfunction can be a direct cause of cardiac conduction disturbance, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Recent advances have meant that the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the development of the PCS in tissues are now starting to be understood. This book brings together a group of leading researchers to discuss emerging concepts in this exciting field. In particular, the new understanding of the cellular origin and the molecular induction of PCS tissues during embryogenesis, together with the burgeoning technology of stem cell manipulation, provides the foundation for tissue engineering, replacement and repair of PCS tissues in humans. The book also identifies therapeutic targets arising from basic discoveries in the developmental biology of cardiac pacemaking and conduction tissues.