Microreview of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4

Abstract

Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 plays keys roles throughout the body. This is due to its massive expression across cells of different systems. It is involved in inflammation response, the development of osteoarthritis, and energy homeostasis. Through knockout genes for TRPV4 it has been shown that insulin resistance can improve as well as resistance to obesity. Through activation of the channel it has been shown to initiate the influx of calcium predominantly in its signal transduction, but also facilitates intracellular calcium release in chondrocytes. Through antagonists research indicates that TRPV4 may be useful in treating diabetes and obesity as well. By possible reduction of a chronic inflammatory state TPRV4 could have many targeted medical applications in future years.