Cardiac arrhythmia treatment methods

Abstract

Disclosed are methods of preventing or treating cardiac arrhythmia. In one embodiment, the methods include administering to an amount of at least one polynucleotide that modulates an electrical property of the heart. The methods have a wide variety of important uses including treating cardiac arrhythmia.

1 . A method of preventing or treating cardiac arrhythmia comprising administering to a mammal a therapeutically effective amount of at least one polynucleotide capable of modulating an electrical property in a standard cardiac electrophysiological assay; and expressing the polynucleotide in the mammal to prevent or treat the cardiac arrhythmia.  
     
     
         2 - 11 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polynucleotide encodes a K channel subunit, Na channel subunit, Ca channel subunit, an inhibitory G protein subunit, a connexin; or a functional fragment thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises overexpressing the K channel protein subunit sufficient to decrease cardiac action potential duration (APD) by at least about 5% as determined by the assay.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein overexpression of the K channel protein subunit is further sufficient to decrease surface electrocardiogram (ECG) repolarization time by at least about 5% as determined by the assay.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  or  14 , wherein the K channel protein subunit is overexpressed by at least about 2 fold relative to endogenous K channel protein as determined by a standard Western blot assay.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  or  14  wherein the K channel protein subunit is overexpressed and impacts repolarization in congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction in the long QT syndrome.  
     
     
         17 - 59 . (Cancelled)