CELLINES

摘要

The present invention relates to cell lines that express functional Nav 1.8 sodium channels. In particular, the invention relates to a method of identifying a modulator of a Nav 1.8 channel, which method comprises: (a) bringing into contact a test compound and a cell comprising a heterologous nucleic acid having a sequence which encodes a Nav1.8 channel, wherein the heterologous nucleic acid comprises the 3' and/or 5' untranslated region (UTR) of a Nav 1.8 gene or a functional variant of the 3' and/or 5' UTR of a Nav 1.8 gene, said UTR or variant UTR being operably linked to the region encoding the Nav 1.8 channel and wherein the cell expresses p 11 from an endogenous gene at a sufficient level to allow a Nav 1.8 channel expressed from said heterologous nucleic acid to mediate a sodium current across a membrane of the cell; and (b) measuring an activity of the Nav 1.8 channel, wherein a change in the activity of the channel relative to the activity in the absence of the test compound indicates that the test compound is a modulator of the Nav 1.8 channel.