Arrhythmias are very common and clinically highly relevant because they are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Over the recent years, the underlying pathophysiology has been studied intensively and numerous advances have been achieved. However, current treatment remains insufficient in many patients, as most therapeutic strategies focus solely on symptoms rather than targeting the causal mechanisms of arrhythmias. Another challenge is the translation from initial discovery to clinical application, especially since the majority of basic science studies are performed in vitro or in vivo using rodents. These models are invaluable in identifying underlying mechanisms or potential drug targets, but may not always adequately resemble human arrhythmia, and thus do not allow direct application to patients. In sum, in order to improve the treatment of patients with arrhythmias, a better understanding of causal mechanisms, as well as better approaches to translate basic research findings into clinical practice, is highly necessary.

The current JoVE Methods Collection provides a toolkit of state-of-the-art technologies and strategies that are useful for translational cardiac electrophysiology. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• the investigation of molecular and cellular determinants of electrophysiology and the mechanisms of arrhythmias
• the identification of targets for diagnosis (e.g., biomarkers) or treatment (e.g., potential drug targets)
• the establishment and characterization of in silico, in vitro, or in vivo models to study electrophysiology and arrhythmias
• the validation of basic research findings in humans
• innovative approaches for the implementation of current findings in clinical practice