Inherited Channelopathies in Cortical Circuits of Fmr1 KO Mice

With this $90,000 award, Dr. Zhang and Principal Investigator Dr. Andreas Frick at Neurocentre Magendie in France investigated channelopathies using Fragile X mice. $90,000 GrantAndreas Frick, PhD Principal Investigator Yu Zhang, PhD FRAXA Postdoctoral Fellow Neurocentre Magendie 2010-11 FRAXA Research Grant $90,000 over 2 Years Many other proteins are misregulated as a result of the absence of FMRP. It is known that many ion channels, the pores in the cell membrane which allow neurons to conduct electrical impulses, have altered levels in Fragile X. This state is sometime called a “channelopathy” in the pharma world. This group is studying the effect of specific alterations in ion channels, and potential therapeutic effects of drugs which open and close these channels. The mammalian neocortex is central for processes as diverse as sensory information processing, perception or control of motor activity, and cortical defects have devastating neurological and psychiatric consequences. In humans, the consequencesRead more