RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND AFFILIATIONS
Biomedical Sciences Program
Cancer Research Program
Pharmacology
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Biophysical mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias; fluorescence imaging.
EDUCATION
PhD: Institute of Biological Sciences Russian Academy of Science, 1975
RESEARCH ABSTRACT
Spiral Waves and Cardiac Arrhythmias
The main objective of my research is to apply the concepts of so-called spiral waves to the analysis of complex cardiac arrhythmias, including ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. Spiral waves have been predicted theoretically and demonstrated experimentally in a variety of biological and nonbiological systems (brain, retina, the social amoeba dyctiostelium, Xenopus laevis oocyte, autocatalytic chemical reactions). Similar to myocardium, these systems support propagating excitation waves akin to the cardiac action potential. A particular perturbation of the excitation wave in these systems causes formation of vortices with the shape of a rotating spiral. Spiral waves rotate very fast, and can change their location with time similar to hurricanes and tornadoes. Recently, spiral waves have been demonstrated in myocardial tissue and are thought to be a major cause of polymorphic ventricular tachycardias and fibrillation. We use new experimental methods that allow us to directly visualize propagating excitation wave on the surface and through the thickness of the myocardial wall. These methods employ high resolution computer imaging technology and voltage sensitive fluorescent probes. Studying the mechanisms of initiation and dynamics of spiral waves in myocardial tissue will help build better understanding of the pathogenesis of the most dangerous cardiac arrhythmias and eventually lead to therapeutic advances.
Selected References
Mitrea BG, Caldwell BJ, Pertsov AM. Imaging electrical excitation inside the myocardial wall. Biomed Opt Express: 2011;2(3):620-33.
Zemlin CW, Pertsov AM. Anchoring of drifting spiral and scroll waves to impermeable inclusions in excitable media. Phys Rev Lett: 2012;109(3):038303.
Zaitsev AV, Berenfeld O, Mironov SF, Jalife J, Pertsov AM. Distribution of Excitation Frequencies on the Endocardial and Epicardial Surfaces of Fibrillating Ventricular Wall. Circ Res: 2000; 86(4):408-417.
Gray RA, Pertsov AM, Jalife J. Spatial and temporal organization during cardiac fibrillation. Nature: 1998;392:75-78.
Vinson M, Mironov S, Mulvey S, Pertsov A. Control of Spatial Orientation and Lifetime of Scroll Rings in Excitable Media. Nature: 1997;386:477-480.
PUBLICATIONS
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