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Small molecules open gates to the brain
A chemical toolbox will allow researchers to investigate which nerves in the brain control behaviour such as eating
New tools have been developed which make it possible to chemically shut down nerve cells in the brain at will and study the effects on behaviour. The tools - modified ion channels - mean the causal relationship between individual nerves and behaviour can be directly studied.
Nerve cells maintain their electrical potentials by building up charge gradients with ions like sodium and calcium. The movement of the ions across nerve membranes is controlled by ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs), so these make interesting handles for controlling nerve function. Upon binding of a small molecule, channels in LGICs open allowing ions to flow into cells - propagating a nerve signal. More...
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2011/September/01091105.asp
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