Action potentials generated in the sinoatrial node(SAN)dominate the rhythm and rate of a healthy human heart.Subsequently,these action potentials propagate to the whole heart via its conduction system .Abnormalities of impulse generation and/or propagation in a heart can cause arrhythmias.For example,SAN dysfunction or conduction block of the atrioventricular node can lead to serious bradycardia which is currently treated with an implanted electronic pacemaker.On the other hand conduction damage may cause reentrant tachyarrhythmias which are primarily treated pharmacologically or by medical device-based therapies,including defibrillation and tissue ablation.However,drug therapies sometimes may not be effective or are associated with serious side effects.Device-based therapies for cardiac arrhythmias,even with well developed technology,still face inadequacies,limitations,hardware complications,and other challenges.Therefore,scientists are actively seeking other alternatives for antiarrhythmic therapy.In particular,cells and genes used for repairing cardiac conduction damage/defect have been investigated in various studies both in vitro and in vivo.Despite the complexities of the excitation and conduction systems of the heart,cell and gene-based strategies provide novel alternatives for treatment or cure of cardiac anhythmias.This review summarizes some highlights of recent research progress in this field.

Traumatic rib fractures are the most common injury in thoracic trauma. Previously，the patients with traumatic rib fractures were mostly treated non-surgically，of which 50%，especially those combined with flail chest presented chronic pain or chest wall deformities and over 30% had long-term disabilities，being unable to retain a full-time job. In the past two decades，thanks to the development of internal fixation material technology，the surgical treatment of rib fractures has achieved good outcomes. However，there are still some problems in clinical treatment，including inconsistency in surgical treatment and quality control in medical services. The current consensuses on the management of regional traumatic rib fractures published at home and abroad mainly focus on the guidance of the overall treatment decisions and plans，and relevant clinical guidelines abroad lacks progress in surgical treatment of rib fractures in recent years. Therefore，the Chinese Society of Traumatology affiliated to Chinese Medical Association and Chinese College of Trauma Surgeons affiliated to Chinese Medical Doctor Association，in conjunction with national multidisciplinary experts，formulate the Chinese Consensus for Surgical Treatment of Traumatic Rib Fractures（2021）following the principle of evidence-based medicine，scientific nature and practicality. This expert consensus puts forward some clear，applicable，and graded recommendations from aspects of preoperative imaging evaluation，surgical indications，timing of surgery，surgical methods，rib fracture sites for surgical fixation，internal fixation methods and material selections，treatment of combined injuries in rib fractures，in order to provide references for surgical treatment of traumatic rib fractures.