New ligands for L-type Ca²⁺ channels

Although the clinically important categories of drug represented by verapamil, nifedipine and diltiazem are defined as acting at three major and discrete sites on the L class of voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channel, it is likely that some new classes of drug modulate channel activity by acting at additional sites. David Rampe and David Triggle describe the actions of some of these new drugs, which may both offer improved therapeutic and side-effect profiles over existing agents and provide information to define further the structure and function of this channel class. These drugs may mimick the actions of endogenous ligand(s) and such ligands could provide new directions for Ca²⁺ channel drug structures.