Researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have shown that the potassium channel gene KCNQ is active in neural cells called glia. KCNQ mutations can profoundly affect both neurons and glia.
The research team also showed that genetic variations limit the glia’s ability to release the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter, driving the neuronal hyperexcitability associated with certain forms of epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
