Long-awaited determination of the 3D structure of a human transporter

Nicolas Reyes' team has successfully stabilized and determined the first nearly-atomic resolution structure of a human excitatory neurotransmitter transporter, a key component of the synaptic machinery in the brain. This historic study provides hope for potential pharmacological solutions that could selectively modulate these transporters and thereby control the concentration of glutamate - one of the molecules that they transport. Acting on glutamate concentrations in this way could provide an opportunity for treating several neurodegenerative diseases.