TRP channels in inflammatory bowel disease: Potential therapeutic targets

Abstract

Given the high rate of nonresponse or resistance to current inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatments, novel drug targets and biomarkers that aid in therapeutic prediction are eagerly demanded. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are distributed in the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and visceral sensory nervous systems with multiple functions. An upsurge is observed in the amount of research that implicates TRP channels in several physiological and pathological process of IBD, suggesting the therapeutic potential of the TRP channels as drug targets for combating IBD. In this review, we focus on the expression levels and functions of TRP channels in GI and discuss their potential roles in IBD, including neuropeptide modulation, immune response, and the effect of TRP channels on the IBD-related pathological activities, and some experimental methods for TRP, providing theoretical support for future research.

Keywords: Immunomodulatory; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Research methods; Transient receptor potential channels.