How sodium channels in the heart and nerves change shape and respond to medicines
Official title: Structural dynamics of voltage-gated ion channels and their implications for ion permeation and drug modulation
Funded at University of Missouri Kansas City · NIH-11322649 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will use advanced single-molecule imaging to watch how sodium channels that control heartbeats and nerve signals move, with the goal of helping people with arrhythmias and seizure-related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri Kansas City NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $328,650 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM142816-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322649 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with sodium-channel–related heart rhythm problems (including inherited Nav1.5 mutations) or sodium-channel–linked seizure disorders are the most relevant patient groups for the findings of this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions are unrelated to sodium channel dysfunction or who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic lab research.
What this research studies
This project looks at the tiny protein gates (sodium channels) that let electrical signals pass in heart and nerve cells and how they change shape during activity. Scientists will use a cutting-edge single-molecule fluorescence method (smFRET) to observe these movements in real time, studying both a bacterial model channel and the human Nav1.5 heart channel. They will test how different ions, membrane voltages, and drug molecules alter channel motions that control ion flow. The work is done in the lab at the University of Missouri Kansas City and focuses on mechanisms that underlie drug effects and abnormal rhythms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide development of safer, more precise drugs that correct faulty sodium-channel behavior in arrhythmias and seizure disorders.
How similar studies have gone: High-resolution sodium-channel structures have been solved by cryo-EM, but real-time dynamic observations with smFRET are newer and less established.
Where this research is happening
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University of Missouri Kansas City
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Shizhen — University of Missouri Kansas City
- Study coordinator: Wang, Shizhen
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.