How NMDA receptors in the brain are tuned by drugs that bind to distant sites
Official title: Structural and functional investigation of allosteric NMDA receptor modulation
Funded at University of Montana · NIH-11232295 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how drugs that bind away from the main NMDA receptor site change receptor behavior in ways that could help people with brain disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Montana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Missoula, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2016 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $366,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS097536-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11232295 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with neurological or psychiatric conditions suspected to involve NMDA receptor dysfunction (for example certain epilepsies, treatment-resistant depression, or some neurodegenerative disorders) could be future candidates for therapies informed by this research.
✕Less likely to help
People with medical problems unrelated to NMDA receptors, children under 21, or those needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use laboratory methods to make detailed structural images of NMDA receptors and measure how they function when different allosteric drugs bind. They will compare receptors made with different GluN2 subunits to see which receptor subtypes respond to specific modulators. Experiments will combine biochemical binding tests and functional recordings to link where a drug binds to how the receptor signals. The goal is to identify ways to selectively tune NMDA receptors found in brain cells affected by disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide development of safer, more targeted treatments for disorders linked to NMDA receptor dysfunction, such as some forms of epilepsy, treatment-resistant depression, or neurodegenerative disease.
How similar studies have gone: Existing NMDA-targeting drugs like ketamine and memantine have shown clinical effects, but selectively modulating specific NMDA receptor subtypes via allosteric sites is a newer approach with limited clinical translation so far.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Montana
Missoula, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hansen, Kasper Boe — University of Montana
- Study coordinator: Hansen, Kasper Boe
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.