Targeting effector memory T-cells with Kv1.3 blockers.
After initially being pursued for general immunosuppression, the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 has more recently emerged as an attractive pharmacological target for the selective suppression of CCR7- effector memory T-cells in T-cell mediated autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. This article gives a brief summary of the role of Kv1.3 in autoimmune diseases, reviews the progress made in both developing peptidic and small-molecule inhibitors for this challenging target, and in validating Kv1.3 as a target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
University of California, Davis, Department of Medical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Genome and Biomedical Sciences Facility, Davis, CA 95616, USA. hwulff@ucdavis.edu
Heike
H
Wulff
Michael
M
Pennington
D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D051664:Kv1.3 Potassium Channel; D026902:Potassium Channel Blockers