Therapeutic Targeting of Potassium Channels

Potassium (K+) channels are the largest group of ion channels in mammals. The immediate function of these channels is electrogenic transport of K+ ions across the cellular membranes, but the physiological processes that such K+ conductance regulate in cells are very diverse, ranging from the establishment and maintenance of the resting membrane potential and control of excitability in neurons, muscle, and neuroendocrine cells to metabolic control, mechanotransduction, epithelial transport, and cell volume regulation. Mutations within K+ channel genes or abnormal activity of K+ channel proteins cause multiple severe disorders, including epilepsies, ataxias, deafness, cardiac arrhythmias, diabetes, and developmental and cognitive disorders. Consequently, K+ channels are validated drug targets for many of these disorders. The aim of the present chapter is to provide an overview of the therapeutic targeting of K+ channels, paying attention to new developments in the field.