The Expanding Therapeutic Potential of Neuronal KCC2

Dysfunctions in GABAergic inhibitory neural transmission occur in neuronal injuries and neurological disorders. The potassium–chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2, SLC12A5) is a key modulator of inhibitory GABAergic inputs in healthy adult neurons, as its chloride (Cl(−)) extruding activity underlies the hyperpolarizing reversal potential for GABA(A) receptor Cl(−) currents (E(GABA)). Manipulation of KCC2 levels or activity improve symptoms associated with epilepsy and neuropathy. Recent works have now indicated that pharmacological enhancement of KCC2 function could reactivate dormant relay circuits in an injured mouse’s spinal cord, leading to functional recovery and the attenuation of neuronal abnormality and disease phenotype associated with a mouse model of Rett syndrome (RTT). KCC2 interacts with Huntingtin and is downregulated in Huntington’s disease (HD), which contributed to GABAergic excitation and memory deficits in the R6/2 mouse HD model. Here, these recent advances are highlighted, which attest to KCC2’s growing potential as a therapeutic target for neuropathological conditions resulting from dysfunctional inhibitory input.