Blockade of Ca2+-activated K+ channels in T cells: An option for the treatment of multiple sclerosis?

Abstract

Voltage- and Ca2+-dependent K+ channels in the membrane of both T and B lymphocytes are important for the cellular immune response. In the current issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Reich et al. demonstrate that selective blockade of the intermediate-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel (the IK channel encoded by the KCNN4 gene) prevents cytokine production in the spinal chord and ameliorates the development of EAE caused by injection of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35-55 in mice. These data renew the focus on the IK channel as a potential target for the development of new immune-suppressant drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. © 2005 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.