An Introduction to Transient Receptor Potential Ion Channels and Their Roles in Disease

The transient receptor potential (TRP) cation channel family consists of seven subfamilies that are widely expressed in mammalian tissues. By mediating flux of calcium, sodium, and other cations across cell membranes, in addition to nonionic signaling mechanisms, these channels contribute to many sensory and nonsensory processes throughout the body. Abnormalities in TRP channel function, whether a consequence of mutations in their sequence, alterations in their expression levels, or changes in their myriad regulators, have been associated with numerous disease states ranging from chronic pain to cardiovascular disease, skeletal abnormalities, and cancer. Such prevalent involvement in disease stems not only from the ubiquity of TRP channels but also from their complex pattern of polymodal gating. The connection between TRP channels and disease creates numerous opportunities for therapeutic intervention at these channels, whether through inhibition, activation, or co-opting of their ability to transport cations to alter the course of pathophysiological processes.