a malfunction of bk channels can proliferate in many disorders such as: epilepsy, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. specifically, β1 defect can increase blood pressure and hydrosaline retention in the kidney. both loss of function and gain of function mutations have been found to be involved in disorders such as epilepsy and chronic pain. furthermore, increases in bk channel activation, through gain-of-function mutants and amplification, has links to epilepsy and cancer. moreover, bk channels play a role in tumors as well as cancers. in certain cancers gbk, a variant ion channel called glioma bk channel, can be found. it is known that bk channels do in some way influence the division of cells during replication, which when unregulated can lead to cancers and tumors. moreover, an aspect studied includes the migration of cancer cells and the role in which bk channels can facilitate this migration, though much is still unknown. another reason why bk channel understanding is important involves its role in organ transplant surgery. this is due to the activation of bk channels influencing repolarization of the resting membrane potential. thus, understanding is crucial for safety in effective transplantation. current developments bk channels can be used as pharmacological targets for the treatment of several medical disorders including stroke and overactive bladder. there have been attempts to develop synthetic molecules targeting bk channels, however their efforts have proven largely ineffective thus far. for instance, bms-204352, a molecule developed by bristol-myers squibb, failed to improve clinical outcome in stroke patients compared to placebo. however, there have been some success from the agonist to bkca channels, bms-204352, in treating deficits observed in fmr1 knockout mice, a model of fragile x syndrome. bk channels also function as a blocker in ischemia and are a focus in investigating its use as a therapy for stroke. future directions there are many applications for therapeutic strategies involving bk channels. there has been research displaying that a blockage of bk channels results in an increase in neurotransmitter release, effectively indicating future therapeutic possibilities in cognition enhancement, improved memory, and relieving depression. a behavioral response to alcohol is also modulated by bk channels, therefore further understanding of this relationship can aid treatment in patients who are alcoholics. oxidative stress on bk channels can lead to the negative impairments of lowering blood pressure through cardiovascular relaxation have on both aging and disease. thus, the signaling system can be involved in treating hypertension and atherosclerosis through targeting of the ɑ subunit to prevent these detrimental effects. furthermore, the known role that bk channels can play in cancer and tumors is limited. thus, there is not a lot of current knowledge regarding specific aspects of bk channels that can influence tumors and cancers. further study is crucial, as this could lead to immense development in treatments for those with cancer and tumors. it is known that epilepsies are due to over-excitability of neurons, which bk channels have a large impact on controlling hyperexcitability. therefore, understanding could influence the treatment of epilepsy. overall, bk channels are a target for future pharmacological agents that can be used for benevolent treatments of disease.