Exploitation of KATP channels for cardiac surgery

The many ways in which ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels can be exploited for human benefit have expanded over recent decades. Especially since the early 2000s, research has improved our understanding of the components and mechanisms of KATP channels. They have the potential to have a prominent role in cardiac surgery. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic activation of KATP channels has been shown to be both cardioprotective and neuroprotective in early basic science and clinical studies. However, many questions remain unanswered and require further study, necessitating further basic science work and large human clinical trials. This review discusses the history and recent progress in the research relating to the use of KATP channels for cardiac surgery.