Researchers have made an important scientific advance by describing the regulatory mechanisms for two members of a new family of ion channels found in non-excitable cells. Their discoveries may pave the way for novel treatments for a variety of conditions, including immune system diseases, blood disorders, liver and kidney failure, strokes, damage from aging, and insulin shock. Their findings are published in two articles in this week's issue of the journal Nature.
Ion channels are tiny molecular pores in cells.
These pores control the entry and exit of substances such as sodium, potassium and calcium into the body's cells. In electrically excitable cells, such as those in the brain and the heart, ion channels help drive the electrical system that runs the body and generate electrical signals between cells. At one time, scientists thought only nerve cells had ion channels. Later, ion channels were discovered in the pulsating cells of heart muscle. Now, scientists believe virtually every type of cell has ion channels.