Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Cell-based Calcium Assay for Medium to High Throughput Screening of TRP Channel Functions using FlexStation 3
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Cell-based Calcium Assay for Medium to High Throughput Screening of TRP Channel Functions using FlexStation 3

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The calcium channel terminator: hasta la vista pain

Erika K Harding1, Gerald W Zamponi1

  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
|June 26, 2022
PubMed

Insights

New research targets N-type calcium channels for chronic pain relief. Modulating these channels shows therapeutic benefits in preclinical neuropathic pain models, offering hope for novel analgesic development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Chronic pain presents a significant global health challenge with limited effective treatments.
  • N-type calcium channels are implicated in pain signaling and represent a potential therapeutic target for analgesics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore a novel strategy for modulating N-type calcium channel expression.
  • To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of this approach in preclinical models of neuropathic pain.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel method to modulate N-type calcium channel expression.
  • Preclinical testing in established models of neuropathic pain.

Main Results:

  • The novel modulation strategy successfully altered N-type calcium channel expression.
  • Significant therapeutic benefits were observed in preclinical models, indicating analgesic potential.

Conclusions:

  • Modulating N-type calcium channel expression is a promising therapeutic avenue for chronic pain.
  • This study provides a foundation for developing new analgesics targeting these channels.
Keywords:
beta subunitcalcium channelpainubiquitination

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