Computational models reduce complexity and accelerate insight into cardiac signaling networks

Abstract

Cardiac signaling networks exhibit considerable complexity in size and connectivity. The intrinsic complexity of these networks complicates the interpretation of experimental findings. This motivates new methods for investigating the mechanisms regulating cardiac signaling networks and the consequences these networks have on cardiac physiology and disease. Next-generation experimental techniques are also generating a wealth of genomic and proteomic data that can be difficult to analyze or interpret. Computational models are poised to play a key role in addressing these challenges. Computational models have a long history in contributing to the understanding of cardiac physiology and are useful for identifying biological mechanisms, inferring multiscale consequences to cell signaling activities and reducing the complexity of large data sets. Models also integrate well with experimental studies to explain experimental observations and generate new hypotheses. Here, we review the contributions computational modeling approaches have made to the analysis of cardiac signaling networks and forecast opportunities for computational models to accelerate cardiac signaling research. © 2011 American Heart Association, Inc.