Ion Channel News and Research

RSS

Scientists uncover molecular mechanism that tunes eye light sensitivity

Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have determined the mechanism by which a molecule within cells can help tune the light sensitivity of the eyes.

24 Sep 2026

Study identifies brain mechanism behind pregnancy-related food cravings

Why do food cravings become so strong during pregnancy? Researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in collaboration with colleagues, have identified a brain mechanism that may help explain how pregnancy changes the motivation to seek certain highly palatable foods.

18 Sep 2026

Targeted antibody therapy provides long-lasting relief from neuropathic pain

Pain is a natural protective mechanism that alerts the body to actual or potential injury. But when nerves themselves are damaged, they can generate abnormal pain signals even in the absence of a new injury.

16 Sep 2026

Ion channel TPC1 identified as key regulator of iron homeostasis

Researchers have deciphered the role of an ion channel in iron homeostasis, opening up new possibilities for treating iron metabolism disorders.

6 Aug 2026

Short-term immunosuppressive therapy briefly restores autism-like brain changes in adult mice

A new mouse study led by UCLA Health suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can trigger autism-like changes in offspring, but also that those brain and behavior effects may be rapidly but temporarily reversible in adulthood with a short-term dose of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin.

23 Jul 2026

New target makes cancer cells vulnerable to immune destruction

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a molecular switch that helps determine whether cancer cells remain soft and difficult to destroy or become stiff enough for the immune system to attack.

20 Jul 2026

Genetic discovery reveals biological cause of excessive sweating disorder

An international research team led by Prof. Dr Frank Bosmanbs (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) has discovered a major genetic cause of hyperhidrosis (chronic and excessive sweating).

17 Jul 2026

Study discovers epigenetic mechanism protecting tooth progenitor cells from stress

An epigenetic "mechanostat" has been discovered that protects tooth-forming progenitor cells from mechanical stress and supports lifelong tissue renewal.

19 Jun 2026

Lysosomal protein stabilizes mitochondria to prevent severe heart failure

A new study published in Engineering has uncovered a regulatory mechanism linking lysosomal function to mitochondrial stability in pathological cardiac hypertrophy, identifying transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) as a key protective factor against the progression to heart failure.

16 Jun 2026

Amsterdam UMC researchers overturn long-standing biological pacemaker dogma

Researchers from Amsterdam UMC have overturned a key assumption in the biological pacemaker field.

11 Jun 2026

Researchers identify genetic cause of severe childhood lung disease

A new report in the American Journal of Human Genetics describes a novel disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in the TMEM63B gene, which results in severe lung disease.

10 Jun 2026

New genetic disorder linked to severe childhood lung disease

A new report in the American Journal of Human Genetics describes a novel disorder caused by biallelic loss-of-function variants in the TMEM63B gene, which results in severe lung disease.

8 Jun 2026

Scientists mimic heart cell signaling using organic conductive plastics

For the first time, scientists have succeeded in artificially mimicking the ion signaling of heart muscle cells.

3 Jun 2026

Molecular keyhole discovery offers new hope for personalized pain therapies

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and KU Leuven have identified a tiny binding site, a molecular 'keyhole', in the TRPM3 ion channel, a crucial sensor in pain signaling.

21 Apr 2026

Calcium channel mutations disrupt early brain development and cause epilepsy

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have uncovered a previously unrecognized mechanism by which inherited calcium channel mutations disrupt early brain development and predispose children to epilepsy and related cognitive challenges.

3 Apr 2026

Artemin identified as marker and target in feline osteoarthritis

By comparing osteoarthritis pain pathways known to be active in dogs and humans to those in cats with degenerative joint disease (DJD), researchers found that elevation of a particular molecule, artemin, could serve as a marker of disease (and possibly pain) as well as a potential therapeutic target.

30 Mar 2026

The molecular mechanism that turns cool temps into nerve signals

When you reach into a bucket of ice, open your front door on a snowy day, or feel the tingle of menthol toothpaste, a protein in your nerve cells called TRPM8 springs into action, opening like a tiny gate to send a "cold" signal to your brain.

26 Mar 2026

New review reveals complex polygenic architecture underlying common epilepsies

An insightful mini-review published in Genomic Psychiatry synthesizes the rapidly expanding landscape of molecular genetic research on common epilepsies, assembling evidence from genome-wide association studies, whole-exome sequencing projects, and advanced statistical modeling to illuminate the polygenic architecture that underpins these heterogeneous neurological disorders.

10 Mar 2026

Understanding PIEZO2 mutations and sensory disorders

Every time we feel a gentle tap on the skin, specialized nerve cells convert that physical force into an electrical signal that the brain can interpret as touch. While scientists have long known that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a key sensor for touch, it remained unclear why PIEZO2 is specialized for the localized mechanical forces experienced by sensory neurons, whereas its close relative PIEZO1 responds to broader mechanical stresses such as those generated when cells stretch, as occurs in blood vessels.

9 Mar 2026