Group items tagged

Disease organization representing children and families who are affected by a pediatric neurotransmitter disease. Helps children and families who are affected by PND's, support the identification of new PND's, find better treatments and ultimately a cure for those diseases that are already known. The PND Association is a non-profit, voluntary organization

University of Bristol - MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity - Glutamate Receptors - Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in central nervous system (CNS) and as such the glutamate receptors play a vital role in the mediation of excitatory synaptic transmission -

"The focus of the study is on the plentiful neurons that communicate with each other through the neurotransmitter glutamate. While glutamate is a necessary excitatory substance in the nervous system, in excess, it overstimulates and becomes toxic - excitotoxic - to neurons. Fortunately, neighboring astrocytes can mop up the excess via molecular transporters embedded in their outer membranes. The chief transporter is a protein called EAAT2. Earlier Rothstein's group showed that astroglia - and their EAAT2 protein - are critical for normal neuron activity. In test rats whose astroglia lack the EAAT2 equivalent there's not only a flood of toxic glutamate but a resulting neuron death that leads to paralysis."