Sodium channelopathies in neurodevelopmental disorders

MH Meisler, SF Hill, W Yu - Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2021 - nature.com
MH Meisler, SF Hill, W Yu
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2021nature.com
The voltage-gated sodium channel α-subunit genes comprise a highly conserved gene
family. Mutations of three of these genes, SCN1A, SCN2A and SCN8A, are responsible for a
significant burden of neurological disease. Recent progress in identification and functional
characterization of patient variants is generating new insights and novel approaches to
therapy for these devastating disorders. Here we review the basic elements of sodium
channel function that are used to characterize patient variants. We summarize a large body …
Abstract
The voltage-gated sodium channel α-subunit genes comprise a highly conserved gene family. Mutations of three of these genes, SCN1A, SCN2A and SCN8A, are responsible for a significant burden of neurological disease. Recent progress in identification and functional characterization of patient variants is generating new insights and novel approaches to therapy for these devastating disorders. Here we review the basic elements of sodium channel function that are used to characterize patient variants. We summarize a large body of work using global and conditional mouse mutants to characterize the in vivo roles of these channels. We provide an overview of the neurological disorders associated with mutations of the human genes and examples of the effects of patient mutations on channel function. Finally, we highlight therapeutic interventions that are emerging from new insights into mechanisms of sodium channelopathies.
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