Using Qube 384, we profiled a panel of NaV inhibitors across species, providing valuable translational insight early in analgesic drug discovery.
Ion channels play a fundamental role in regulating neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and signal processing throughout the nervous system. Understanding how therapeutic compounds interact with native neuronal ion channels is therefore a critical component of neuroscience drug discovery, target validation and mechanism of action studies.
Metrion provides native neuronal ion channel assay services using gold-standard manual patch clamp electrophysiology. Our experienced neuroscientists perform voltage-clamp recordings from native rodent neurons and rodent and human neuroblastoma cell lines, enabling detailed investigation of ion channel function, pharmacology and biophysics in physiologically relevant cellular systems.
Using extensive expertise in ion channel pharmacology and electrophysiology, we can isolate and characterise specific voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels, generating high-quality data to support compound profiling, target validation and translational neuroscience programmes.
Metrion combines extensive ion channel expertise with specialist neuroscience capabilities to deliver reliable and reproducible neuronal ion channel studies.
Our capabilities include:
We design studies to address specific scientific questions and generate the data needed to support neuroscience drug discovery and translational research programmes.
Voltage-clamp electrophysiology remains the gold standard technique for investigating ion channel function and pharmacology.
Our experienced neuroscientists can design studies using mixed neuronal cultures or individual cells, enabling comparison of specific cell populations and the recording of isolated voltage-gated and ligand-gated ionic currents of interest.
These studies can be designed to generate detailed biophysical data that improves understanding of how specific ion channels contribute to neuronal excitability and how therapeutic compounds modulate these processes.
An example of this approach is shown in Figure 1, where the voltage-dependent properties of calcium currents are characterised in rodent dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons.
In addition to biophysical characterisation, Metrion can investigate the pharmacological inhibition or activation of specific ion channel subtypes using both reference compounds and novel drug candidates.
These studies can help:
Our scientists provide detailed interpretation of electrophysiology data and can help guide subsequent experimental strategies.
As neuroscience drug discovery increasingly adopts complex phenotypic screening approaches, understanding the molecular targets and signalling pathways underlying compound activity becomes increasingly important.
Native neuronal ion channel assays provide a powerful means of confirming target specificity, selectivity and mechanism of action, helping researchers bridge the gap between phenotypic observations and target-based pharmacology.
In addition to our established ion channel expertise, Metrion works with trusted scientific partners to provide access to complementary techniques and continually expanding neuroscience research capabilities.
The figures below demonstrate the application of native neuronal ion channel assays to investigate neuronal electrophysiology, ion channel biophysics and pharmacology. Using gold-standard manual patch clamp electrophysiology, Metrion can isolate and characterise ionic currents from native neuronal preparations, generating detailed functional data to support target validation, mechanism of action studies and neuroscience drug discovery programmes.
Figure 1. Ca2+ currents in DRG neuron.
Figure 2. Biophysics of Ca2+ currents.
Native neuronal ion channel assays use electrophysiological techniques to investigate ion channel function directly in neurons, providing physiologically relevant information about neuronal excitability and pharmacology.
Manual patch clamp remains the gold standard for measuring ion channel activity, offering high-resolution recordings and detailed characterisation of ion channel biophysics and pharmacology.
Metrion can investigate a broad range of voltage-gated and ligand-gated ion channels, including sodium, calcium and potassium channels, as well as neurotransmitter-gated ion channels.
Native neuronal assays can help identify mechanisms of action, confirm target engagement, evaluate compound selectivity and generate data to support target validation and compound progression decisions.
Studies can be performed using native rodent neurons, rodent neuroblastoma cell lines and human neuroblastoma cell lines, depending on the scientific objectives of the project.
Using Qube 384, we profiled a panel of NaV inhibitors across species, providing valuable translational insight early in analgesic drug discovery.
We explore hNav1.9's unique fast and slow inactivation properties using Qube 384 and QPatch 48 platforms, helping to build more predictive screening assays for state-dependent inhibitors.