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Published on: July 16, 2013
Mechanisms Underlying Connexin Hemichannel Activation in Disease
Raf Van Campenhout1, Ana Rita Gomes1, Timo W M De Groof2
1Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
None:
Gap junctions and connexin hemichannels mediate intercellular and extracellular communication, respectively. While gap junctions are seen as the "good guys" by controlling homeostasis, connexin hemichannels are considered as the "bad guys", as their activation is associated with the onset and dissemination of disease. Open connexin hemichannels indeed mediate the transport of messengers between the cytosol and extracellular environment and, by doing so, fuel inflammation and cell death in a plethora of diseases. The present mini-review discusses the mechanisms involved in the activation of connexin hemichannels during pathology.
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