The Role and Therapeutic Potential of Voltage‐Gated Potassium Channel Kv1.3 in Metabolism‐Related Disorders

ABSTRACT Over the past three decades, the global burden of common metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis has steadily increased, becoming a serious public health issue that poses a major threat to human health worldwide. Potassium channels, particularly the voltage‐gated Kv1.3 subtype, serve as critical regulators of cellular metabolism and immune function, with broad implications for metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, cancer, and liver disease. Kv1.3 modulates fundamental physiological processes, including membrane potential, calcium signaling, and metabolic pathways, across a diverse range of tissues, including the brain, kidneys, olfactory bulbs, lymphocytes, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue. Although Kv1.3 channel inhibitors demonstrate promising therapeutic effects in metabolic disease models, their long‐term safety and efficacy in humans require further validation through large‐scale clinical trials. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the regulatory functions of Kv1.3 in metabolic diseases and discuss the potential therapeutic applications of this channel, offering promising avenues for the treatment of metabolic disorders.