Blockade of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in T cells: an option for the treatment of multiple sclerosis?
Voltage- and Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channels in the membrane of both T and B lymphocytes are important for the cellular immune response. In the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Reich et al. demonstrate that selective blockade of the intermediate-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channel (the IK channel encoded by the KCNN4 gene) prevents cytokine production in the spinal chord and ameliorates the development of EAE caused by injection of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)(35-55) in mice. These data renew the focus on the IK channel as a potential target for the development of new immune-suppressant drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Madsen
Lars Siim
LS
NeuroSearch A/S, Ballerup, Denmark. lsm@neurosearch.dk
Christophersen
Palle
P
Olesen
Søren-Peter
SP
D000818:Animals; D051379:Mice; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D024681:Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated