TRP Channels: Their Function and Potentiality as Drug Targets

The transient receptor potential (TRP) proteins are a family of ion channels that act as cellular sensors as well as signal integrators. Several members of the TRP family are sensitive to changes in cellular redox status. Among them, TRPA1 is remarkably susceptible to various oxidants and is known to mediate neuropathic pain and respiratory, vascular, and gastrointestinal functions, making TRPA1 an attractive therapeutic target. However, a method to achieve selective modulation of TRPA1 by small molecules has not yet been established. Most recently, we found that a novel N -nitrosamine compound activates TRPA1 by S -nitrosylation (the addition of a nitric oxide (NO) group to cysteine thiol) and does M. Nishida Division of Cardiocirculatory Signaling, Okazaki Institute for Integrative Bioscience , National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences , Myodaiji-cho , Okazaki , Aichi 444-8787 , Japan K. Kuwahara Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine , Kyoto University , Sakyo-ku , Kyoto 606-8507 , Japan D. Kozai Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering , Kyoto University , Katsura Campus, Nishikyo-ku , Kyoto 615-8510 , Japan R. Sakaguchi Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering , Kyoto University , Katsura Campus, Nishikyo-ku , Kyoto 615-8510 , Japan World Premier International Research Initiative-Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences , Kyoto University , Katsura Campus, Nishikyo-ku , Kyoto 615-8510 , Japan Y. Mori , Ph.D. (*) Department of Technology and Ecology, Hall of Global Environmental Studies , Kyoto University , Katsura Campus , Nishikyo-ku , Kyoto 615-8510 , Japan World Premier International Research Initiative-Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences , Kyoto University , Katsura Campus, Nishikyo-ku , Kyoto 615-8510 , Japan e-mail: [email protected] © The Author(s) 2015 K. Nakao et al. (eds.), Innovative Medicine, DOI 10.1007/978-4-431-55651-0_17