Molecular keyhole sheds light on pain and epilepsy

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and KU Leuven have identified a tiny binding site, a molecular "keyhole," in the TRPM3 ion channel, a crucial sensor in pain signaling. TRPM3 is also linked to rare neurodevelopmental disorders and epilepsy. In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers found that even the slightest change in this keyhole can radically switch the channel's behavior, explaining how certain mutations can flip the effects of drugs.