Understanding how GABA-A receptors are built and work
Structure and Function of GABA-A receptors
Researchers are mapping the 3D shapes and actions of GABA‑A receptors to help people with anxiety, epilepsy, and problems from sedatives or alcohol.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11190982 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project maps the three-dimensional shapes of GABA‑A receptors and identifies where clinical drugs and commonly abused compounds bind. The team will use advanced cryo‑EM and computer simulations to capture receptor states as they open, close, and become desensitized. They will also develop ways to identify receptor subunit arrangements in healthy and diseased brain tissue to see how receptors differ in real patients. The goal is to link structural changes to effects on brain inhibition that matter for anxiety, epilepsy, and responses to anesthetics or addictive substances.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults who can contribute brain tissue (for example, those undergoing epilepsy surgery) or patients with anxiety, epilepsy, or relevant exposure to sedatives or alcohol who are able to join clinical collaborations.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate symptom relief or those who cannot provide tissue samples or travel to the research site are unlikely to receive direct, short-term benefits from this basic structural research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide development of safer, more targeted treatments for anxiety, epilepsy, anesthesia-related effects, and addiction.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have solved several GABA‑A receptor structures and informed drug design, but time‑resolved gating captures and mapping receptors in native brain tissue are more novel and less tested.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hibbs, Ryan E — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Hibbs, Ryan E
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.