Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 23, 2026
In Vitro Culture of Epicardial Cells From Mouse Embryonic Heart
Published on: April 27, 2016
Pannexins in the heart: cell-specific expression and contributions to disease
Mark C Renton1, Meghan W Sedovy1, Amanda Reynolds2
1The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Center for Vascular and Heart Research, 4 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
Insights
Pannexins, proteins involved in cell signaling, are present in the heart and influence cardiovascular health. Understanding pannexin function offers new therapeutic avenues for heart disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Molecular Medicine
- Cell Signaling
Background:
- Heart disease remains a primary global cause of mortality.
- Current treatments are limited by incomplete understanding of underlying mechanisms.
- Pannexins are transmembrane proteins crucial for purinergic signaling via ATP release.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate pannexin protein expression in human and mouse hearts.
- To review pannexin function in ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting pannexins for cardiac dysfunction.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of publicly available human and mouse heart sequencing data.
- Examination of pannexin expression at tissue and single-cell levels.
- Comprehensive literature review of cardiac pannexin function and clinical drug targeting.
Main Results:
- Pannexins, especially pannexin 1 (Panx1), are expressed in diverse cardiac cell types.
- Cardiac pannexins are implicated in blood vessel regulation, immune responses, and ischemic injury.
- Existing drugs targeting pannexin channels may offer insights into future cardiac therapies.
Conclusions:
- Pannexin expression is confirmed in cardiac tissues, highlighting their relevance.
- Further research into pannexin's role in heart disease is warranted.
- Targeting pannexins presents a promising therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular dysfunction.
Abstract:
Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. Although modern interventions have dramatically reduced the morbidity and mortality of heart disease, the lack of knowledge of key underlying mechanisms has limited the development of effective therapeutics. Pannexins encompass a group of three transmembrane channel-forming proteins best known for their role in purinergic signaling through the release of ATP. Pannexins, particularly pannexin 1 (Panx1), are expressed in multiple cell types throughout the heart and play a role in blood vessel regulation, immune cell recruitment and activation, and the response to ischemic injury. In this review, we analyze publicly available sequencing data to investigate the expression of pannexin proteins in human and mouse hearts at both tissue and single-cell levels. We provide a detailed review of the literature surrounding cardiac pannexin function in the context of both ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease. We then discuss the clinical use of drugs now known to target pannexin channels as a primer for the therapeutic potential of pannexins in cardiac dysfunction. Finally, we discuss the largest gaps in the current literature to guide future research.
Related Concept Videos
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
01:23Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
01:17Ischemic Heart Disease: Overview
Atherosclerosis, the primary malefactor, orchestrates this dangerous condition. It manifests as the accumulation of fatty deposits, akin to insidious plaques, within arterial walls. As time elapses, these plaques metamorphose, hardening and...
01:21Rheumatic Heart Disease III: Medical Management
01:20Rheumatic Heart Disease IV: Nursing Management