Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 12, Issue 18, 2006

Ion channels play a pivotal role in transmembrane cell signaling. Their involvement in a variety of physiological functions and in diseases means that they are an important target for therapeutic intervention. This issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design is dedicated to the topic "Ion Channels as a Target for Drug Design". In the first article, Nelson et al. [1] review low-voltage activated, or T-type calcium channels in synaptic inte Read More

T-type calcium channels open in response to small depolarizations of the plasma membrane. The entry of two positive charges with every calcium ion leads to a further depolarization of the membrane, the low threshold spike, and opening of channels that have a higher threshold. In this manner, T-channels play an important pacemaker role in gating the activity of Na+ and Ca2+ channels. T-channels are preferentially ex Read More

During the last two decades since the identification and characterization of T cell potassium channels great advances have been made in the understanding of the role of these channels in T cell functions, especially in antigen-induced activation. Their limited tissue distribution and the recent discovery that different T cell subtypes carrying out distinct immune functions show specific expression levels of these channels h Read More

The renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is of fundamental importance in the control of sodium reabsorption through the distal nephron. ENaC is an important component in the overall control of sodium balance, blood volume and thereby of blood pressure. This is clearly demonstrated by rare genetic disorders of sodium channel activity (Liddle's Syndrome and Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 associated with contrasting e Read More

The Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-activated chloride channel expressed in epithelia in the lung, intestine, pancreas, testis and other tissues, where it facilitates transepithelial fluid transport. In the intestine CFTR provides the major route for chloride secretion in certain diarrheas. Mutations in CFTR cause the hereditary disease cystic fibrosis, where chronic lung infection and deteriorat Read More

Research over the last decade has extended the prevailing view of mitochondria to include functions well beyond the critical bioenergetics role in supplying ATP. It is now recognized that mitochondria play a crucial role in cell signaling events, inter-organelle communication, aging, many diseases, cell proliferation and cell death. Apoptotic signal transmission to the mitochondria results in the efflux of a number of potential Read More

Human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channels conduct the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current, IKr, which is crucial for repolarization of cardiac action potentials. Moderate hERG blockade may produce a beneficial class III antiarrhythmic effect. In contrast, a reduction in hERG currents due to either genetic defects or adverse drug effects can lead to hereditary or acquired long QT s Read More

Voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv channels) are the major determinants of cellular repolarization in excitable cells - they open in response to depolarization and facilitate selective efflux of potassium ions across the plasma membrane. Because of the importance of exquisitely timed cellular repolarization in controlling action potential morphology and duration, Kv channels are attractive therapeutic targets, particularl Read More

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most frequent extra-cranial solid tumor and the first cause of lethality in pre-school age children. NB accounts for 9-10% of pediatric tumors and affects more than ten thousand children a year. It originates from the sympathetic nervous system and is characterized by heterogeneous pathological and clinical presentation. Stage 4 NB represents approximately 50% of the cases and shows metastatic diss Read More

The endocannabinoids (eCBs) anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are important retrograde messengers that inhibit neurotransmitter release via presynaptic CB1 receptors. In addition, cannabinoids are known to modulate the cell death/survival decision of different neural cell types, leading to different outcomes that depend on the nature of the target cell and its proliferative/differentiation status. Thus, cannabinoids Read More