(dailyRx News) According to new research from the University of
Texas Health Science Center, two significant signaling molecules
communicate through nerve cells to regulate electrical and
chemical activity. The finding could lead to better therapies
for epilepsy, stroke and other conditions. The team of
researchers isolated nerve cells from rats and found a
relationship between calcium ions and signaling enzymes
(phosphoinositide kinases). The transport of calcium and calcium
levels in nerve cells are vital for proper neurobiological
function, said lead author Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., professor of
physiology at UTHSC. For example, in epilepsy, abnormal levels
of intracellular calcium ions are believed to contribute to the
hyper-excitability in the brain that results in seizures. This
puts people who have had epileptic seizures at risk for future
seizures as the normal regulation of brain activity breaks down.
Shapiro said the study, which provides novel targets for
therapeutic intervention for a host of condit