Cardiac regulatory mechanisms: Translating fundamental discoveries into novel therapeutics

at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire, USA, and brought together 180 investigators studying the molecular, cellular, organ-level and organismal mechanisms that maintain cardiac function and contribute to disease.The papers collected in this special issue on cardiac regulatory mechanisms reflect the breadth of these discussions, including eight topical reviews and 12 original research articles spanning five major areas that link cardiac development to adult cardiovascular disease.Topics range from ion channels and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium release to mitochondrial biology, redox signalling, neurocardiac regulation and inter-organ communication.Together, these contributions underscore the idea that cardiac regulation arises from an interconnected, multiscale network of mechanisms rather than any single pathway, highlighting the importance of understanding when, where, and in what