Over-activated hemichannels: A possible therapeutic target for human diseases

Date

2021

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Article

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Abstract

In our body, all the cells are constantly sharing chemical and electrical information with other cells. This intercellular communication allows them to respond in a concerted way to changes in the extracellular milieu. Connexins are transmembrane proteins that have the particularity of forming two types of channels; hemichannels and gap junction channels. Under normal conditions, hemichannels allow the controlled release of signaling molecules to the extracellular milieu. However, under certain pathological conditions, over-activated hemichannels can induce and/or exacerbate symptoms. In the last decade, great efforts have been put into developing new tools that can modulate these over-activated hemichannels. Small molecules, antibodies and mimetic peptides have shown a potential for the treatment of human diseases. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the field of hemichannel modulation via specific tools, and how these tools could improve patient outcome in certain pathological conditions.

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Citation

Mauricio A. Retamal, Ainoa Fernandez-Olivares, Jimmy Stehberg, Over-activated hemichannels: A possible therapeutic target for human diseases, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease, Volume 1867, Issue 11, 2021

Keywords

Connexins, Hemichannels, Channelopathies, Human diseases, Cell death

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