Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




New Virtual Heart Reveals Important Information on Common Heart Defect

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 06 Feb 2013
With advanced computational technology and information, researchers have built a highly accurate 3D model of a mammalian heart, enabling a study that revealed new information about the mechanisms underlying one of the world’s most common heart conditions.

In a collaborative effort led by scientists at the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK), the model was developed by taking a series of very thin slices of a sheep’s heart, imaging them in 2D, then computationally rendering them into a 3D virtual model. The anatomically realistic reconstruction includes details of the complex fiber structure of the tissue, and the segmentation of the upper chambers of the heart into known distinctive regions. Single-cell models that take into account information about the electrical activity in different atrial regions were then incorporated into the model. The virtual heart was then used to investigate the sudden irregular heart-rate condition “atrial fibrillation” (AF), which affects approximately 1.5% of the population worldwide, and is known to increase the risk and severity of stroke, yet very little is known about its cause(s).

The research team focused on the pulmonary vein, a common area that triggers AF. They simulated erratic electrical waves passing through the vein and the surrounding atrial tissue, then studied the impact this had on the rest of the heart. Electrical heterogeneity (regional differences in the electrical activity across the heart tissue) was found to be a key to initiation of AF. The largest electrical difference was between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium, which may help explain why the pulmonary vein region is a common source of AF. The scientists also identified that fiber structure plays an important role in the development of AF. There were directional variations in the conduction of electrical waves along and across the fibers, variations known as anisotropy. The fiber structure in the left atrium is much more organized compared with the complex structures of the pulmonary vein region. The sudden variation in conduction at the junction between the left atrium and the pulmonary vein regions appeared to contribute to the development of AF.

“This study has for the first time identified the individual role of electrical heterogeneity and fiber structure in the initiation and development of AF. It has not previously been possible to study the contribution of the two separately, but using our computational model we’ve been able to clearly see that both electrical heterogeneity and fiber structure need to be taken into consideration when treatment strategies for AF are being devised,” explained lead investigator Prof. Henggui Zhang: “We’re really excited about the potential that our virtual heart opens up for research into this incredibly complex organ. By bringing together physics and biology, we hope to unlock some of the unanswered questions about atrial fibrillation, a condition, which is only going to become more common as people live longer. ”

The next step planned for the team is to find a way to target the electrical conduction in specific regions of the heart to better protect against AF.

The study was published online January 16, 2013, in the Royal Society’s independent journal Interface Focus.

Related Links:
University of Manchester


Gold Member
Pharmacogenetics Panel
VeriDose Core Panel v2.0
Verification Panels for Assay Development & QC
Seroconversion Panels
New
Community-Acquired Pneumonia Test
RIDA UNITY CAP Bac
New
Bordetella Pertussis Molecular Assay
Alethia Pertussis
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The tiny clay-based materials can be customized for a range of medical applications (Photo courtesy of Angira Roy and Sam O’Keefe)

‘Brilliantly Luminous’ Nanoscale Chemical Tool to Improve Disease Detection

Thousands of commercially available glowing molecules known as fluorophores are commonly used in medical imaging, disease detection, biomarker tagging, and chemical analysis. They are also integral in... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The cancer stem cell test can accurately choose more effective treatments (Photo courtesy of University of Cincinnati)

Stem Cell Test Predicts Treatment Outcome for Patients with Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer frequently responds to chemotherapy initially, but eventually, the tumor develops resistance to the therapy, leading to regrowth. This resistance is partially due to the activation... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The lab-in-tube assay could improve TB diagnoses in rural or resource-limited areas (Photo courtesy of Kenny Lass/Tulane University)

Handheld Device Delivers Low-Cost TB Results in Less Than One Hour

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the deadliest infectious disease globally, affecting an estimated 10 million people annually. In 2021, about 4.2 million TB cases went undiagnosed or unreported, mainly due to... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: The ready-to-use DUB enzyme assay kits accelerate routine DUB activity assays without compromising data quality (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Sensitive and Specific DUB Enzyme Assay Kits Require Minimal Setup Without Substrate Preparation

Ubiquitination and deubiquitination are two important physiological processes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, responsible for protein degradation in cells. Deubiquitinating (DUB) enzymes contain around... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The HIV-1 self-testing chip will be capable of selectively detecting HIV in whole blood samples (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

Disposable Microchip Technology Could Selectively Detect HIV in Whole Blood Samples

As of the end of 2023, approximately 40 million people globally were living with HIV, and around 630,000 individuals died from AIDS-related illnesses that same year. Despite a substantial decline in deaths... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The collaboration aims to leverage Oxford Nanopore\'s sequencing platform and Cepheid\'s GeneXpert system to advance the field of sequencing for infectious diseases (Photo courtesy of Cepheid)

Cepheid and Oxford Nanopore Technologies Partner on Advancing Automated Sequencing-Based Solutions

Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), a leading molecular diagnostics company, and Oxford Nanopore Technologies (Oxford, UK), the company behind a new generation of sequencing-based molecular analysis technologies,... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.