Novel characterization of endogenous transient receptor potential melastatin 3 ion channels from Gulf War Illness participants

Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a chronic condition characterized by multisystem symptoms that still affect up to one-third of veterans who engaged in combat in the Gulf War three decades ago. The aetiology of GWI is mainly explained by exposure to multiple toxic agents, vaccines, and medications. As there is a significant overlap in symptoms between GWI and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), the objective of this study was to investigate a biomarker widely reported in Natural Killer (NK) cells from ME/CFS patients, the Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 3 (TRPM3) ion channel. NK cells from 6 healthy controls (HC) and 6 GWI participants were isolated, and TRPM3 function was assessed through whole-cell patch-clamp. As demonstrated by prior studies, NK cells from HC expressed typical TRPM3 function after pharmacomodulation. In contrast, this pilot investigation demonstrates a dysfunctional TRPM3 in NK cells from GWI participants through application of a TRPM3 agonist and confirmed by a TRPM3 antagonist. There was a significant reduction in TRPM3 function from GWI than results measured in HC. This study provides an unprecedented research field to investigate the involvement of TRP ion channels in the pathomechanism and potential medical interventions to improve GWI quality of life.