Current Drug Development Overview: Targeting Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels for the Treatment of Pain
Flavia Tasmin Techera Antunes, Maria M. Campos, Vanice de Paula Ricardo Carvalho, Claudio Antônio da Silva, Luiz Alexandre Viana Magno, Alessandra Hübner de Souza, Marcus V. Gomez
Abstract
Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are targeted to treat pain conditions. Since the discovery of their relation to pain processing control, they are investigated to find new strategies for better pain control. This review provides an overview of naturally based and synthetic VGCC blockers, highlighting new evidence on the development of drugs focusing on the VGCC subtypes as well as mixed targets with pre-clinical and clinical analgesic effects.
Topics & Concepts
MedicineVoltage-dependent calcium channelPain controlCalcium channelAnalgesicDrugDrug developmentChronic painDrug discoveryCalciumPharmacologyNeuroscienceBioinformaticsAnesthesiaPsychologyInternal medicinePhysical therapyBiologyIon channel regulation and functionPain Mechanisms and TreatmentsNicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study