Abstract
Ion-channel protein complexes represent a promising and exciting class of
therapeutic targets with applications across many disease indications. Drugs
that modulate ion-channel activity are first-line therapies in several
therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular disorders, central and peripheral
nervous system disorders, and metabolic disorders, and the use of specific
ion-channel modulators will likely expand into other major therapeutic areas,
such as oncology. However, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
have not aggressively exploited ion channels as drug targets because they
require difficult, labor-intensive, and low-throughput assays. Fortunately,
recent scientific and technological advances are affecting ion-channel R&D
significantly. In this report, we examine the function of ion channels and
potential ion-channel targets, describe traditional and new methods of
screening, profile companies specializing in ion-channel research, and discuss
the outlook for the field.
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