Synthetic Peptide-Based Channels: Candidates for Treatments of Channelopathies

Abstract

Modern approaches for treatments of channelopathies employ mutation-specific pharmacotherapies, use pharmacoagents alone, or a vast variety of ideas for genetic approaches, all with the purpose of restoring defective ion channels or attenuate their negative effects. An alternative to existing approaches is the use of synthetic channel-forming peptides (CFPs) with desirable selectivity, high ion transport rates and overall ability to supersede defective endogenous ion channels. Our synthetic CFPs represent derivatives of a peptide initially reconstituted from the second transmembrane segment of the α-subunit of Glycine receptor (M2GlyR), PARVGLGITTVLTMTTQSSGSRA.