A calcium channel is an ion channel(plasma membrane protein) which shows selective permeability to calcium ions. Calcium channels constitute a large family of voltage- and ligand-operated ion channels. Calcium channels are ubiquitous, they can be found in almost any type of excitable (e.g., muscle, glial cells, neurons, etc.) and most unexcitable cells in a wide variety of species. Functions mediated by calcium channels include contraction of muscle, release of neurotransmitters and hormones by neurons and neuroendocrine cells, and control of gene transcription. They are targets for modulation by many intracellular signaling pathways including G proteins and phosphorylation. Calcium channels play pivotal roles in many human diseases, particularly of the cardiac and nervous systems, including pain, seizure, hypertension and migraine. Pharmacological blockers for some types of calcium channels are known, including clinically used drugs for hypertension and pain. In some cases such calcium channel blockers are highly selective for specific types of calcium channels, but there is great potential for developing more selective and more potent drugs targeting calcium channels.

TargetMol’s Calcium Channel Library collects the reported calcium channel blockers and agonists, and is an ideal tool for screening more selective and potent drugs targeting calcium channels.