Seminar – Bruce BEAN

Roles of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 sodium channels in controlling excitability of human nociceptors

C-fiber dorsal root ganglion neurons that mediate pain signaling (nociceptors) are unusual in possessing two major types of voltage-dependent sodium channels with very different voltage-dependence and kinetics, Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 channels. Both of these are current targets for developing new drugs to treat pain. The seminar will present data on the pharmacology and distinct roles of the two channel types in regulating electrical excitability of dorsal root ganglion neurons from human donors.