Mechanisms of Connexin Regulating Peptides.

Gap junctions (GJ) and connexins play integral roles in cellular physiology and have been found to be involved in multiple pathophysiological states from cancer to cardiovascular disease. Studies over the last 60 years have demonstrated the utility of altering GJ signaling pathways in experimental models, which has led to them being attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. A number of different mechanisms have been proposed to regulate GJ signaling, including channel blocking, enhancing channel open state, and disrupting protein-protein interactions. The primary mechanism for this has been through the design of numerous peptides as therapeutics, that are either currently in early development or are in various stages of clinical trials. Despite over 25 years of research into connexin targeting peptides, the overall mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. In this overview, we discuss published connexin targeting peptides, their reported mechanisms of action, and the potential for these molecules in the treatment of disease.

间隙连接（GJ）和连接蛋白在细胞生理学中起着不可或缺的作用，并且已被发现与从癌症到心血管疾病的多种病理生理状态有关。过去60年的研究表明，在实验模型中改变GJ信号通路是有用的，这使得它们成为治疗干预的有吸引力的靶点。已经提出了许多不同的机制来调节GJ信号，包括通道阻断、增强通道开放状态以及破坏蛋白质 - 蛋白质相互作用。主要的机制是通过设计众多肽作为治疗药物，这些肽要么目前处于早期开发阶段，要么处于临床试验的不同阶段。尽管对连接蛋白靶向肽进行了25年以上的研究，但总体作用机制仍然知之甚少。在这篇综述中，我们讨论已发表的连接蛋白靶向肽、它们所报道的作用机制以及这些分子在疾病治疗中的潜力。