Targeting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore for drug discovery: Challenges and opportunities.

Several drug targets have been amenable to drug discovery pursuit not until the characterization of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), a pore with an undefined molecular identity that forms on the inner mitochondrial membrane upon mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) under the influence of calcium overload and oxidative stress. The opening of the pore which is presumed to cause cell death in certain human diseases also has implications under physiological parlance. Different models for this pore have been postulated following its first identification in the last six decades.