Voltage-gated potassium channels in cell proliferation

It is commonly accepted that cells require K+ channels to proliferate, The role(s) of K+ channels in the process is, however, poorly understood. Cloning of K+ channel genes opened the possibility to approach this problem in a way more independent from pharmacological tools. Recent work shows that several identified K+ channels are important in both physiological and pathological cell proliferation and open a promising pathway for novel targeted therapies.