Ion channel screening technologies today

For every heartbeat, movement and thought, ion channels have to open and close, and thus, it is not surprising that malfunctioning of these membrane proteins leads to serious diseases. Today, only 7% of all marketed drugs act on ion channels but the systematic exploitation of this important target class has started mainly enabled by novel screening technologies. Thus, the discovery of selective and state-dependent drugs is on the horizon, hopefully leading to effective novel medicines.