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Computer Modeling in Physiology: From Cell to Tissue - Session Introduction

Over the last two decades there have been tremendous advances with quantitative experimental techniques in physiology and signal transduction. On the cellular level these techniques include the scanning confocal microscopy, single channel recordings from intracellular channels, fluorescent dyes that allow visualization of the spatial and temporal dynamics of second messengers, and bioengineered indicators that can be specifically targeted to particular intracellular organelles. These techniques have already provided a substantial amount of quantitative data and will provide even more in the immediate future. These data reveal a high degree of spatial and temporal organization of intracellular signal transduction processes. Examples of such organization include local events in intracellular calcium signaling, anchoring of protein kinases to various subcellular locations by specialized proteins, association of effectors with the compartments where second messengers are produced or released, and others. On the tissue level optical and multiple electrode recording techniques are now available that allow the spatial spread of excitations to be monitored. The data obtained by these methods also show complex patterns of spatio-temporal activity. An adequate understanding of the organization of subcellular processes and the way in which they are related to functioning of an organ or a tissue opens new possibilities in medicine, pharmacology, and biomedical engineering. In particular, effective treatments for cardiac arrhythmias and new strategies for targeting drugs to the signal transduction apparatus are now realistic goals. Interaction with the emerging field of functional genomics is also beginning to occur as computer physiologists begin to simulate the effects of altering or deleting certain genes on both cell and tissue properties.