title: An overview of cardiac morphogenesis.
abstract: Accurate knowledge of normal cardiac development is essential for properly understanding the morphogenesis of congenital cardiac malformations that represent the most common congenital anomaly in newborns. The heart is the first organ to function during embryonic development and is fully formed at 8 weeks of gestation. Recent studies stemming from molecular genetics have allowed specification of the role of cellular precursors in the field of heart development. In this article we review the different steps of heart development, focusing on the processes of alignment and septation. We also show, as often as possible, the links between abnormalities of cardiac development and the main congenital heart defects. The development of animal models has permitted the unraveling of many mechanisms that potentially lead to cardiac malformations. A next step towards a better knowledge of cardiac development could be multiscale cardiac modelling.
authors.affiliation: Service de Cardiologie et de Maladies Vasculaires, Hôpital de Pontchaillou, 35033 Rennes cedex 09, France; INSERM U 1099, Université de Rennes, LTSI, 35042 Rennes, France. Electronic address: jean-marc.schleich@chu-rennes.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schleich
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abdulla
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: Lucile
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Houyel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005865:Gestational Age; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D009024:Morphogenesis
keywords: AV; Atrioventricular; Cardiac morphogenesis; Cardiopathies congénitales; Congenital heart defects; Développement cardiaque normal; Embryologie; Embryology; FHF; First heart field; Morphogenèse cardiaque; Normal heart development; OT; Outflow tract; SHF; Second heart field; VSD; Ventricular septal defect; WG; Week(s) of gestation