image: Leonardo da Vinci's last and greatest anatomical campaign was an investigation of the heart. Shown are two views of an ox's heart, displaying the aortic valve and coronary arteries. da Vinci regarded the three-cusped valves of the heart as a perfect example of mathematical necessity in the workings of nature. view more
Credit: Image printed with permission from Royal Collection Trust/©Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll 2014.
The heart is the first organ to form in a developing embryo, and all subsequent life processes depend on its proper function. But a range of genetic and environmental factors can lead to its failure. Inherited mutations give rise to congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect, and abnormalities of the adult heart are a leading cause of illness and death in industrialized countries.
Written and edited by experts in the field, The Biology of Heart Disease, published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, describes how recent advances in genetics, stem cell biology, and developmental biology are transforming the way we understand and treat heart disease. Contributors review the various cell lineages and molecular networks involved in heart development; the genetic basis of inherited cardiac conditions such as congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and aortic aneurysm; and how various cutting-edge technologies and models are being employed to study heart biology, uncover disease-related processes, and identify therapeutic targets. Topics include tissue engineering, genome editing, stem cells, cardiomyocyte reprogramming, chemically modified RNA, and next-generation DNA sequencing.
The authors also consider the process of drug discovery and development, and the potential for patient-specific treatments and therapies. This volume is a valuable reference for cardiologists, geneticists, and cell and developmental biologists interested in this complex, vital organ and the future of cardiovascular medicine.
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