Optogenetics-enabled dynamic modulation of action potential duration in atrial tissue: feasibility of a novel therapeutic approach

Diseases that abbreviate the cardiac action potential (AP) by increasing the strength of repolarizing transmembrane currents are highly arrhythmogenic. It has been proposed that optogenetic tools could be used to restore normal AP duration (APD) in the heart under such disease conditions. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of an optogenetic treatment modality for prolonging pathologically shortened APs in a detailed computational model of short QT syndrome (SQTS) in the human atria, and compare it to drug treatment.