Discovery of 'Doorstop' for Brain's Electrical Gates May Open Path to New Therapies for Neurodegenerative Conditions

Discovery of 'doorstop' for brain's electrical gates may open path to new therapies for neurodegenerative conditions

As information zings from cell to cell inside the brain, bursts of electricity spur its transmission. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), scientists have turned their attention to the tiny pores that let charged ions enter a cell and the molecular gatekeepers that help control them.

How the Brain’s Ion Gates Open and Close

New research reveals how tiny electrical gates in the brain, known as NMDA receptors, control learning, memory, and neuron survival. Using cryo-electron microscopy, scientists captured atomic-level images showing how a natural neurosteroid, 24S-HC, holds these channels wide open, while a synthetic compound locks them partially shut.

A doorstop for the brain’s electrical gates

As information zings from cell to cell inside the brain, bursts of electricity spur its transmission. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), scientists have turned their attention to the tiny pores that let charged ions enter a cell—and the molecular gatekeepers that help control them. CSHL structural biologist Hiro Furukawa studies NMDA receptors (NMDARs). These ion channels open in response to chemical signals from neurons or drugs. The chan…