Ions in the fire: recent ion-channel research and approaches to pain therapy

Ion channels form a diverse and sophisticated collection of membrane-bound proteins. They are influenced by many endogenous compounds and physiologica l stimuli and modulate neuronal activity. It is thus unsurprising that they provide attractive targets for the design of novel therapeutics. In this a rticle, recent ion channel research and its relevance to modulation of sens ory transmission is assessed. In pain research, specific blockade or activa tion of ion channels has long been considered a desired route for identific ation of analgesics. Historically, this has proven difficult to attain due to the incidence of side-effects associated with most ion-channel modulator s. The recent discovery of several novel classes of ion channels, each of w hich has a specific distribution and role in sensory processing and nocicep tion, has provided a plethora of targets for pharmaceutical intervention wi th the promise of an improved therapeutic index.