Novel Targets for Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drug Development

Title: Novel Targets for Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drug Development

Volume: 11 Issue: 15

Author(s): John Christian Hesketh, Daniel Herrera, Stephen Zicha and Stanley Nattel

Affiliation:

Keywords: sinoatrial node (san), pacemaker, re-excitation, early afterdepolarizations(eads), sarcoplasmic reticulum (sr), automaticity, sodium current, channels, ultra rapid delayed rectifier, antiarrhythmic therapy

Abstract: Cardiac arrhythmias remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Antiarrhythmic drug therapy was traditionally the mainstay of cardiac arrhythmia treatment; however, drug therapy of cardiac arrhythmias has been plagued by incomplete efficacy and by potentially serious adverse reactions, of which the most worrisome has been a potential for malignant proarrhythmia and related effects to increase cardiac mortality. This article reviews the principal arrhythmia mechanisms and their ionic determinants, and discusses potential innovative approaches to new antiarrhythmic drug development, including the consideration of novel ionic targets, potential biophysical approaches and non-channel components involved in composing the arrhythmic substrate.

Cite this article as:

Hesketh Christian John, Herrera Daniel, Zicha Stephen and Nattel Stanley, Novel Targets for Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drug Development, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2005; 11 (15) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612054021051