How serotonin transporters move chemicals in brain cells
Functional Dynamics of Neurotransmitter:Sodium Symporters (NSSs)
This work looks at how serotonin transporters and certain drugs change their movement and shape in brain cells to help guide better treatments for conditions like ADHD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11192295 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers will use lab experiments, spectroscopy, and computer modeling to watch how serotonin transporters change shape as they move serotonin and interact with drugs. They will map where ions, substrates, and medications bind and how those interactions alter transporter motion. The team focuses on the human serotonin transporter (hSERT) and how therapeutic and illicit stimulants affect its activity. Results aim to create clearer links between transporter behavior and drug effects that could inform future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not provide direct treatments, but people with ADHD who are interested in contributing samples or joining future clinical follow-ups could be relevant.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate symptom relief should not expect benefit from this basic laboratory and computational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal how drugs change serotonin transport and guide development of safer, more effective medications for ADHD and related conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Previous structural and computational studies of neurotransmitter transporters have yielded important insights, but linking transporter dynamics directly to drug effects in human SERT remains an evolving and partly novel area.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Quick, Matthias — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Quick, Matthias
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.