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The Role of Ion Channels in Health and Disease

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 1805

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Physiology, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju 38066, Republic of Korea
Interests: ion channels & channelopathy; electrophysiology; atopic dermatitis & allergic inflammation; itch (pruritus) & pain (nociception) sensation; neuroimmunology; skin physiology & aging
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences on "The Role of Ion Channels in Health and Disease". Ion channels play critical roles in numerous physiological processes, and their dysfunction is implicated in a wide spectrum of diseases. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease development related to ion channels, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets. We welcome submissions across various disciplines, including molecular biology, electrophysiology, and genomics, as long as they pertain to ion channel research. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Prof. Dr. Joohyun Nam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • ion channel
  • molecular mechanisms
  • channelopathies
  • drug discovery
  • electrophysiology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 2088 KB  
Article
Chronic Histamine Exposure Promotes Melanogenesis via ORAI1-STIM1-Mediated Calcium Signaling Remodeling
by Nhung Thi Hong Van, Hong Thi Lam Phan, Minh Tuan Nguyen, Woo Kyung Kim, Hyun Jong Kim and Joo Hyun Nam
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(4), 2055; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27042055 - 22 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1308
Abstract
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common pigmentary disorder characterized by excessive melanin production following skin inflammation. Histamine, a key inflammatory mediator, is known to stimulate melanogenesis via H2 receptors; however, the underlying calcium (Ca2+) signaling mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In [...] Read more.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a common pigmentary disorder characterized by excessive melanin production following skin inflammation. Histamine, a key inflammatory mediator, is known to stimulate melanogenesis via H2 receptors; however, the underlying calcium (Ca2+) signaling mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the role of the ORAI1-STIM1 complex in histamine-induced melanogenesis using B16F10 melanoma cells and normal human epidermal melanocytes (NHEMs). Histamine (10–30 μM) significantly increased melanin content (2.5–2.8-fold), an effect specifically abolished by the H2 antagonist famotidine. Notably, while acute histamine application failed to trigger immediate Ca2+ influx, chronic exposure significantly enhanced store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) capacity by approximately 2.8-fold, providing evidence for a functional remodeling of the Ca2+ signaling machinery. Histamine-induced melanogenesis was significantly suppressed by intracellular Ca2+ chelation, pharmacological inhibition of ORAI1 (BTP-2 or Synta-66), and siRNA-mediated silencing of ORAI1 or STIM1, but not ORAI2, ORAI3, or STIM2. Our findings demonstrate that chronic histamine exposure drives hyperpigmentation through ORAI1-STIM1-mediated SOCE remodeling, establishing this complex as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of PIH and related inflammatory pigmentary disorders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Ion Channels in Health and Disease)
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