Ion channel diseases

Neurological diseases caused by ion-channel mutations.

During the past decade, mutations in several ion-channel genes have been shown to cause inherited neurological diseases. This is not surprising given the large number of different ion channels and their prominent role in signal processing. Biophysical studies of mutant ion channels in vitro allow detailed investigations of the basic mechanism underlying these 'channelopathies'. A full understan...

Ion channel activity drives ion channel expression.

Ion channels-related diseases.

There are many diseases related to ion channels. Mutations in muscle voltage-gated sodium, potassium, calcium and chloride channels, and acetylcholine-gated channel may lead to such physiological disorders as hyper- and hypokalemic periodic paralysis, myotonias, long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, malignant hyperthermia and myasthenia. Neuronal disorders, e.g., epilepsy, episodic ataxia, famili...

Ion permeation through neuronal nAChR ion channel

Alzheimer’s dementia is related to loss of inter-neuron communication by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) at post synaptic neurons, and successful therapy approaches rely e.g. on modulations of response signals initiated by ion flux through the receptor integrated ion channel. We have evaluated Umbrella Sampling (US) and Steered Molecular Dynamics (SMD) pulling for calculation of the p...

Ion Channel-Target Toxicology

The saying " use poison as an antidote to poison " has long been considered the spirit of traditional Chinese medicine and herbalism since Ming Dynasty and has indicated the medical values of toxins arising from venomous animals, plants, microbes, or synthetic chemicals. A well-known physician Sir P. M. Latham (1789–1875) once defined the relationship between poisons and medicines as " oftentim...