1. Academic Validation
  2. (-)-Englerin A is a potent and selective activator of TRPC4 and TRPC5 calcium channels

(-)-Englerin A is a potent and selective activator of TRPC4 and TRPC5 calcium channels

  • Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 Mar 16;54(12):3787-91. doi: 10.1002/anie.201411511.
Yasemin Akbulut 1 Hannah J Gaunt Katsuhiko Muraki Melanie J Ludlow Mohamed S Amer Alexander Bruns Naveen S Vasudev Lea Radtke Matthieu Willot Sven Hahn Tobias Seitz Slava Ziegler Mathias Christmann David J Beech Herbert Waldmann
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Physiologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund (Germany); Technische Universität Dortmund, Fakultät Chemie, Lehrbereich Chemische Biologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 6, 44227 Dortmund (Germany).
Abstract

Current therapies for common types of Cancer such as renal cell Cancer are often ineffective and unspecific, and novel pharmacological targets and approaches are in high demand. Here we show the unexpected possibility for the rapid and selective killing of renal Cancer cells through activation of calcium-permeable nonselective transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) calcium channels by the sesquiterpene (-)-englerin A. This compound was found to be a highly efficient, fast-acting, potent, selective, and direct stimulator of TRPC4 and TRPC5 channels. TRPC4/5 activation through a high-affinity extracellular (-)-englerin A binding site may open up novel opportunities for drug discovery aimed at renal Cancer.

Keywords

antitumor agents; calcium ions; ion channels; natural products.

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