Mission Statement

TRPLe aims to obtain fundamental novel insight into the structure, function and physiological role of TRP channels, and to translate this knowledge into a better understanding of the etiology of certain human diseases and ultimately into the development of novel therapies.

TRPLe covers four levels of TRP channel research:

    1. Molecular analysis of TRP channel function, investigating the structure of TRP channels, its relation with channel function, and the interaction between TRP channels and small-molecule channel modulators.
    2. Cellular regulation of TRP channels, investigating the factors and cellular signaling pathways that regulate TRP channel transport and function in the cell.
    3. TRP channel function in vivo, investigating the role of TRP channels in various organs and body functions using genetically modified or pharmacologically treated animals.
    4. TRP channels in human disease, investigating the link between TRP channels and acquired or hereditary diseases, and developing strategies for novel TRP channel-based therapies.

TRPLe focuses on three research themes of:

    1. TRP channels in thermosensation, investigating the structures and mechanisms that underlie the steep thermosensitivity of certain TRP channels, their contribution to thermal responses in different cell types, and their relevance to the normal and pathological temperature dependence of somatosensation and organ function.
    2. TRP channels in chemosensation, investigating the structures and mechanisms whereby TRP channels interact with endogenous and exogenous chemicals, and the relevance to the chemosensory properties of various cell types and organs.
    3. TRP channels in cell signaling, investigating the relation between TRP gating and the elementary signaling processes in excitable and non-excitable cells, such as membrane potential changes and intracellular Ca2+ signals, and the consequences of these signals for to the (dys)function of various organs.