AUTHOR=Lin Yi , Zhao Ying-Jie , Zhang Hai-Lin , Hao Wen-Juan , Zhu Ren-Di , Wang Yan , Hu Wei , Zhou Ren-Peng TITLE=Regulatory role of KCa3.1 in immune cell function and its emerging association with rheumatoid arthritis JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.997621 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.997621 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation. Immune dysfunction is an essential mechanism in the pathogenesis of RA and directly linked to synovial inflammation and cartilage/bone destruction. Intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel (KCa3.1) is considered a significant regulator of proliferation, differentiation, and migration of immune cells by mediating Ca2+ signal transduction. Earlier studies have demonstrated abnormal activation of KCa3.1 in the peripheral blood and articular synovium of RA patients. Moreover, knockout of KCa3.1 reduced the severity of synovial inflammation and cartilage damage to a significant extent in a mouse collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) model. Accumulating evidence implicates KCa3.1 as a potential therapeutic target for RA. Here, we provide an overview of the KCa3.1 channel and its pharmacological properties, discuss the significance of KCa3.1 in immune cells and feasibility as a drug target for modulating the immune balance, and highlight its emerging role in pathological progression of RA.