Role of ion channels in lymphocytes

Ion channels, and ion fluxes in general, appear to regulate a wide variety of processes important to lymphocyte function in normal and disease states. These include resting ionic homeostasis and the more complex signaling events involved in activation, proliferation, cytotoxic function, and volume regulation. The wider application of patch-clamp and microfluorimetry techniques to lymphocytes has helped to clarify some issues and raised many more. It seems likely that rapid progress will be made in our understanding of these areas through a combination of immunological, biochemical, and electrophysiological approaches.