Research & Drug Development

Voltage-gated ion channels are integral membrane proteins that enable the passage of selected inorganic ions across cell membranes. They open and close in response to changes in transmembrane voltage, and play a key role in electrical signalling, governing a number of physiological processes. In vertebrates, electrical signals and the resulting intracellular calcium transients, control contraction of muscle, secretion of hormones, sensation of the environment, processing of information in the brain, and output from the brain to peripheral tissues.

The voltage gated ion channels form a protein superfamily of more than 140 members. It is one of the largest groups of signal transduction proteins, and many family members are the molecular targets for toxins and  therapeutic agents.