Voltage-gated potassium and calcium channels (VGKC/VGCC)

Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) and calcium (Cav) channels are essential transmembrane proteins that respond to changes in membrane potential to regulate the flow of ions into and out of cells (StatPearls, 2023). Kv channels are primarily responsible for the repolarization phase of the action potential by allowing potassium efflux, thereby resetting the membrane potential (IUPHAR/BPS, 2023). Cav channels facilitate calcium influx in response to depolarization, serving as a vital link between electrical signals and intracellular physiological responses such as neurotransmission and muscle contraction (Catterall, 2011). These channels are fundamental to the proper functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Mutations or dysfunction in these proteins lead to various channelopathies, including cardiac arrhythmias and seizure disorders (PubMed, PMID: 28978322). Consequently, they are major therapeutic targets for antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, and anticonvulsants (PubChem, 2024). This specific entry is flagged as incorrect because it combines two distinct and broad superfamilies of ion channels that should be evaluated as separate therapeutic targets.

Other names

Voltage-dependent potassium channelsVoltage-dependent calcium channelsVGKCsVGCCsK+ channelsCa2+ channels

Drugs targeting these channels typically act as pore blockers, preventing ion flow, or as gating modifiers that stabilize specific conformational states, such as the inactivated state, to modulate channel opening frequency and duration (StatPearls, 2023; IUPHAR/BPS, 2023).