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Toxins Targeting the Kv1.3 Channel: Potential Immunomodulators for Autoimmune Diseases
Yipeng Zhao1, Jie Huang2, Xiaolu Yuan3
1Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China. zhaoyipeng@whu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Autoimmune diseases are usually accompanied by tissue injury caused by autoantigen-specific T-cells. KV1.3 channels participate in modulating calcium signaling to induce T-cell proliferation, immune activation and cytokine production. Effector memory T (TEM)-cells, which play major roles in many autoimmune diseases, are controlled by blocking KV1.3 channels on the membrane. Toxins derived from animal venoms have been found to selectively target a variety of ion channels, including KV1.3. By blocking the KV1.3 channel, these toxins are able to suppress the activation and proliferation of TEM cells and may improve TEM cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes mellitus.
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