The first 3-D map of the heart's neurons
The normal functioning of our hearts is maintained by our body's control center—the brain—via an intricate network of nerves. When this communication is disrupted, it results in heart disease, including heart attacks, sudden cardiac death and problems in blood supply. As an added layer of safety, the heart has its own 'little brain', called the intracardiac nervous system (ICN) to monitor and correct any local disturbances in communication. The ICN is essential in supporting heart health and can even protect cardiac muscle during a heart attack. But it's not clear how exactly the ICN carries out these roles, because the organization of the neurons that make up the ICN are poorly understood; we don't know where they are located in the heart, how they are connected to each other, and what their molecular properties are.