About this Research Topic
Animal heart models of human heart diseases are cornerstones of drug discovery, both to identify new drug targets and to screen new drugs for cardiovascular toxicities. In less than four decades since Streisinger et al. advocated the use of zebrafish as a laboratory animal in 1981, the two-chamber zebrafish heart has rapidly emerged as popular, high-throughput vertebrate model to study human cardiac electrophysiology and myopathies. There are so many reasons for the well-deserved popularity of this unique animal model: high fecundity, rapid development, high genetic homology with mammals (particularly humans), ease of genetic manipulation, transparency of the embryos, extraordinary capability to regenerate the injured heart retained throughout adulthood, and superior similarity to human electrophysiological phenotype (particularly when compared with the mouse heart model). On the other hand, our understanding of zebrafish cardiac electrophysiology is limited, especially in comparison to the discovery pace in zebrafish developmental biology. Translational applications in cardiovascular medicine could be further advanced with more in-depth insights into the electrophysiology of the zebrafish heart, particularly the adult heart. Therefore, the aim of this Frontiers Research Topic is to provide a platform to promote and disseminate the latest ideas and insights in zebrafish cardiac arrhythmogenesis and cardiomyopathies.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions of original research, brief research report, perspectives, minireviews, commentaries, and opinion papers. Below is a list of subtopics of high interest for the Research Topic. Authors may rely on the following subtopics as helpful suggestions rather than exclusive restrictions.
(1) The electrophysiology of the adult zebrafish heart in health, cardiac injuries, and/or cardiomyopathy
(2) The impact of aging on the electrophysiological functions of the old zebrafish heart
(3) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human atrial arrhythmias
(4) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human ventricular arrhythmias
(5) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human cardiomyopathies
This Research Topic welcomes submissions of original research, brief research report, perspectives, minireviews, commentaries, and opinion papers. Below is a list of subtopics of high interest for the Research Topic. Authors may rely on the following subtopics as helpful suggestions rather than exclusive restrictions.
(1) The electrophysiology of the adult zebrafish heart in health, cardiac injuries, and/or cardiomyopathy
(2) The impact of aging on the electrophysiological functions of the old zebrafish heart
(3) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human atrial arrhythmias
(4) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human ventricular arrhythmias
(5) The pros and cons of transgenic zebrafish models of inheritable human cardiomyopathies
Keywords: zebrafish, Danio rerio, cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiomyopathy, cardiac regeneration, disease model, cardiovascular
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
