Speakers

Regina Mačianskienė
(LUHS, Kaunas)

Education and Training: University of Vilnius (Biology/Biophysics), Lithuania (1981), PhD (Biology), Academy of Sciences, Kiev, Ukraine (1998), Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Leuven, Belgium (1999 - 2002), Assistant Research Professor (R3), University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (2003 - 2004), Invited Researcher, University of Leuven, Belgium (2005, 2007, 2009 - 2010).

Experience: in different studies on various voltage- and ligand-gated ion channels, including non-selective channels, in various heart preparations and/or cell lines.

Scientific interests: associated with cardiac cellular electrophysiology and changes with heart failure and arrhythmias. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Mačianskienė has been using biophysical and pharmacological approaches elucidating ion channel function and its relationship to cell signaling. The current research projects include:
Optical. The most recent focus - to find mechanistic explanations for the genesis and maintenance of cardiac arrhythmias, which are a major cause of death. To study the dynamics of wave's propagation in the heart the optical imaging utilizing voltage-sensitive dyes has become a powerful tool. However, the coincidence between optically and electrically recorded action potential (AP) is moderate, when a near-infrared (NIR) dye used. Therefore, APs recorded transmurally with microelectrode alongside with optical mapping could help to provide better interpretation of both optical and electrical mapping experiments.

TRP. In the last ten years the scientific activities directed on the study of the electrophysiological properties of several novel ion channels in the heart, and functional characterization of their potential roles under physiological and pathological conditions. One of these, TRPM7, has been implicated in anoxia-mediated cell death following ischemia, and of the cellular magnesium homeostasis. The results of Dr. Mačianskienė's work provides the first electrophysiological description of TRPM7 current in native human cardiomyocytes, suggesting for channel operation under physiological conditions as well as indicating for the pathophysiological evidence in human heart.

Preclinical drug examination. The Pharmaceutical studies for testing the new products for evaluation of their influence on cardiac electrical and mechanical function. These tests are necessary to identify the mechanisms underlying anti- vs. pro-arrhythmic or inotropic actions of various drugs. In the past, we have carried tests for companies such as Institute of Organic Synthesis (Latvia) and Karo-Bio (Sweden).