New insights into how disruption of calcium transport leads to autism and intellectual disability

A new study by McGill University researchers provides insights how the disruption of calcium transport in the brain is linked to autism and intellectual disability. The findings published in the magazine Nature, Not only a long -term belief with neuroscientists, but also the way can pave the way for treatments.

The researchers discovered that small protein structures on brain cells, known as ampa receptors, can transport calcium. Although previous research had suggested that disruptions in calcium signaling could be linked to neurological disorders, the specific role of ampa receptors in the transport of calcium and how mutations in these receptors contributions to autism and intellectual disability did not establish, said senior author of pharmy and therapist in McGills, professor in McGills, professor in McGills, professor, professor in McGills, professor, professor in McGills, professor, professor in McGillsics

Most people know that calcium is of vital importance to bone health, but in the brain, calcium is a critical signal molecule that controls learning and memory. Our study is the first to show that when calcium transport is disturbed by AMPA receptors, this can lead to autism and intellectual disability. “

Derek Bowie, Professor in McGill’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics

“What is even more important, it offers a new direction for therapeutic strategies aimed at correcting these calcium benefits,” he said.

Rewriting the science of learning and memory

For more than 30 years, scientists believed that AMPA receptors could not transport calcium, a conclusion that was struck long before the “helper” proteins interact with these receptors in the brain. To the surprise of the researchers, no one had visited this assumption so far.

To challenge current theory, the MCGILL team has re -created Ampa receptors in the lab, with these helper proteins to simulate their natural state in the brain. The experimental data was then modeled by the Laboratory of Anmar Khadra, professor in McGill’s Department of Physiology. Together they discovered that AMPA receptors are not only able to transport calcium, but their ability to do this is much larger than previously thought.

“Our discovery means that all textbooks about this brain function must be rewritten to take our findings into account,” says Bowie.

In addition to autism and intellectual disability, AMPA receptors play a role in a series of neurological disorders, including as, glaucoma, dementia and glioblastoma multiforme brain cancer, the researchers said. This breakthrough opens the door to the development of medicines that focuses on AMPA receptors and offers hope for patients with these disorders.