How brain and heart ion channels are built and regulated
Structural Studies of Ion Channel Assembly and Signaling Complexes
This work maps how key brain and heart ion channels assemble and interact to help people with neurological, psychiatric, or heart rhythm conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11291335 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers use high-resolution structural methods to visualize how voltage-gated ion channel subunits and helper proteins fit together. The team focuses on calcium channels (like CaV1.2) and their auxiliary subunits and chaperone complexes to reveal the physical architecture that enables proper function. Experiments use purified proteins and molecular imaging to build detailed three-dimensional models of channel assemblies. Findings aim to explain how misassembly or disrupted interactions can lead to disease and to guide future therapeutic ideas.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with conditions linked to ion channel dysfunction—such as certain inherited arrhythmias, some forms of autism, or affective disorders thought to involve channel abnormalities—would be most directly interested in following or contributing to related research.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or enrollment in a clinical therapy trial are unlikely to benefit directly because this is basic laboratory structural research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new ways to diagnose or target disorders caused by faulty ion channels, including some neurological, psychiatric, and cardiac conditions.
How similar studies have performed: High-resolution structures of many ion channels already exist and have advanced understanding, but solving channel:chaperone assemblies is a newer direction with some early successes led by this group.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Minor, Daniel L — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Minor, Daniel L
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.