Research progress of ASIC1a in inflammatory diseases

Acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) is an ammonia-chlorine-sensitive ligand-gated ion channel, and is widely distributed and expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In a physiological environment, cells maintain a stable pH value around 7.0-7.5 through various transport modes of H⁺. During the occurrence of some pathological conditions such as allergic asthma, nephritis, arthritis, enteritis, acute lung injury, and other inflammatory diseases, the anaerobic glycolysis of tissue produces H⁺ accumulation of lactic acid and ATP hydrolysis, resulting in tissue acidification and body fluids. The pH value drops sharply to around 4.0-6.0, which further activates ASIC1a, causing a sharp deterioration of the inflammatory disease. In recent years, targeting ASIC1a may be a potential treatment strategy. This review briefly summarizes the role of ASIC1a in inflammatory diseases and discusses the research progress of ASIC1a in inflammatory diseases.