Top News

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have found that a brain protein previously thought to be inactive is actually a strong control mechanism. This discovery may lead to new treatments for mental health issues such as anxiety and schizophrenia, as well as a movement and balance disorder. The research was published in the journal Nature.

About GluDs

The proteins involved are known as delta-type ionotropic glutamate receptors, or GluDs. These proteins are important in how brain cells, called neurons, communicate. Problems with this communication system are often connected to brain and mental health disorders. In the past, changes or mutations in GluDs have been associated with conditions like anxiety and schizophrenia. However, for many years, scientists did not fully understand how these proteins functioned, which made it hard to create medicines that could control them.

The new research shows that GluDs are not inactive. Instead, they are active proteins that can strongly influence how brain cells connect and send signals. This makes them a promising target for future drugs that could either increase or decrease their activity, depending on the condition being treated.

Cryo-EM Imaging

To understand how GluDs work, the research team used a highly advanced imaging method called cryo-electron microscopy. Using this method, the team found that GluDs have a central channel that holds charged particles. These particles help the protein respond to chemical and electrical signals in the brain. These signals are essential for communication between neurons.

This process is especially important for the formation and maintenance of synapses. Synapses are the tiny connections where brain cells pass information. Healthy synapses are crucial for thinking, learning, memory and coordination.

Cerebellar Ataxia

The discovery has important implications for cerebellar ataxia, a condition that affects balance and movement. People with cerebellar ataxia may have trouble walking steadily, controlling their movements or keeping their balance. The condition can result from strokes, head injuries, brain tumours or degenerative brain diseases, and it can also affect memory. In cerebellar ataxia, GluDs become overactive even when they should be quiet. Future treatments could involve drugs that reduce this excessive activity.

In schizophrenia, the problem appears to be the opposite. GluDs tend to be less active than normal. This suggests that treatments for schizophrenia might focus on increasing the activity of these proteins to restore normal brain signalling.

Ageing and Memory

The findings may also be relevant to ageing and memory loss. Since GluDs help control synapses, drugs targeting them could protect these connections as people age. This might help slow down memory decline and support normal brain function over time.

Next, the researchers plan to work with pharmaceutical companies to develop medicines based on this discovery. They are also studying specific GluD mutations linked to mental health conditions, with the goal of better understanding how these illnesses develop and how more precise treatments can be developed.