Ion Channels, Nanomechanics, and Nanomedicine

Ion Channels, Nanomechanics, and Nanomedicine

Keka Talukdar
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 18
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1043-7.ch001
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Abstract

Ion channels are naturally occurring pores found in all living organisms. These may be of different types, activated by many stimuli, but their addition or alteration may cause serious physiological issues. They allow some ions to pass through them and are resistant for some ions. So they are ion selective. For the pharmaceutical industry, ion channels are now bird's eye view as many drugs, intended to cure a disease, target ion channels located in a specific part of our body. Quantum dots, nanoparticles, carbon nanomaterials change the channel properties in a considerable amount. A huge potential of targeting the ion channels for changing the treatment procedure completely is now opening a new side of nanomechanics, nanofluidics, biophysics and medicine. The following paragraphs will describe how experimental as well as theoretical studies can bring a lot of change in the field of medicine. The fatal disease like cancer and male infertility; these two important issues are addressed here. The dependent of such diseases on ion channels and the way of treating them are emphasized.
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Background

Considerable information about ion channels are gathered up till now that added important means of further progress in the field. The C-type inactivated K+ channels serves as water pathway (Hoomann, NJahnke, & Horner, 2013). Though it allows water transportation through it, it prevents ions. water flow is another important action observed by these channels. Homology models of the pore loop domain of voltage-gated potassium channels kv1.1-kv1.6 are generated by Liu and Lin (2004). Polyamines are marked as the gating molecules for inward-rectifier K+ channels (Oliver, Baukrowitz & Fakler, 2000). As there are many reviews that talk about the role of diverse ion channels in different types of cancer, the following paragraphs highlight the relation and ion channel focusing on the process of treatment. Male fertility is a such a big issue in current age, so stress is given on that problem which are in proper light only before a few years. Significant role of different ion channels in male fertility and infertility is discussed in detail with Ca+2 signal mechanism.

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