Transcription factors and atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a prevalent cardiac arrhythmia with a significant genetic component. In recent years, familial and population-based genetic studies in AF have led to the emergence of transcription factors as potentially important contributors to arrhythmia susceptibility. Further evidence to implicate transcription factors in AF has come from studies in animal models, which demonstrate that these proteins play critical roles during AF-related atrial remodelling. Transcription factors have the potential to create a pro-arrhythmogenic substrate in the pulmonary veins and the atrium. However, further research is necessary to fully characterize the mechanistic links between these proteins and AF pathogenesis. In the future, such studies could potentially lead to the development of novel therapies for the arrhythmia. This review focuses on the association between transcription factors and AF.