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Scientists develop new methods to fight brain disease
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Liege in Belgium have discovered how to develop drugs that target specific cellular processes in certain areas of the brain without causing side effects in other areas of the nervous system.
The research, led by Professor Neil Marrion at Bristol's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, published in the journal PNAS, could lead to the development of more effective compounds to improve nervous system function.
The team of scientists worked to study a subtype of ion channel called an SK channel. Ion channels are proteins that act like pores in the cell membrane and help control the excitability of nerves.
Ion channels allow the flow of "charged" elements (potassium, sodium, and calcium) into and out of cell membranes through a network of pores formed by such SK channels.
The scientists used a natural toxin called apamin, found in bee venom, which can block different types of SK channels. The researchers used apamin to block each of the three SK channel subtypes one by one to determine how different the subtypes [SK1-3] were from each other.
Neil Marrion, Professor of Neuroscience at the University, says the challenge in developing new drugs to target specific cellular processes is that cell types with different functions and structures are scattered throughout the body, and the combinations of different [SK1-3] subtypes in the body vary in specific tissues and organs.
“This means that drugs aimed at blocking only one SK channel subtype will not be therapeutically effective, but knowing that the channels consist of several subtypes can provide the right key to solving this problem.”
The results of the study showed how SK channels are blocked by apamin and other ligands. It is important to know how blocking different channel subtypes affects drug penetration. This will allow the development of drugs to block SK channels that contain multiple SK subtypes for more effective treatment of diseases such as dementia and depression.
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