I am a
Home I AM A Search Login

Papers of the Week


Papers: 4 Jan 2020 - 10 Jan 2020


Pharmacology/Drug Development


2020 01 06


Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol


60

Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels as Drug Targets for Neurological Disorders.

Authors

Santoro B, Shah MM
Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol. 2020 01 06; 60:109-131.
PMID: 31914897.

Abstract

The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are voltage-gated ion channels that critically modulate neuronal activity. Four HCN subunits () have been cloned, each having a unique expression profile and distinctive effects on neuronal excitability within the brain. Consistent with this, the expression and function of these subunits are altered in diverse ways in neurological disorders. Here, we review current knowledge on the structure and distribution of the individual HCN channel isoforms, their effects on neuronal activity under physiological conditions, and how their expression and function are altered in neurological disorders, particularly epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and affective disorders. We discuss the suitability of HCN channels as therapeutic targets and how drugs might be strategically designed to specifically act on particular isoforms. We conclude that medicines that target individual HCN isoforms and/or their auxiliary subunit, TRIP8b, may provide valuable means of treating distinct neurological conditions.