SMOC2 and ischemia: Specifically, the following molecular candidate targets could provide interesting studies of CPS development in utero and postnatally: ion channels (HCN4 and HCN1), transcription factors (Isl1, Tbx3, Tbx18, and Shox2), gap junction genes Gjc1, Igfbp5, Smoc2, Ntm, Cpne5, and Rgs6. Functional studies in pacemaker cells should explore the developmental profile of CPS dynamics in vitro or using the Langendorff preparation ex vivo, for example, in [39], with attention to the vulnerability of the CPS to noxious stimuli such as ischemia, hypoxia, or inflammation.