Bioelectricity Buzz

T he increasingly chilly and dark afternoons of winter are a good excuse to grab a hot drink and the latest Bioelectricity Buzz.This time the topics include mechanosensitive ion channel regulation of genital sensation, calcium channel regulation of slime mold development, a socalled bionanoantenna that leverages bipolar electrochemistry of functionalized nanoparticles to convert external electric field stimulation to intracellular metabolic changes, and the role of specific potassium channel subtypes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) function.Also, an exciting new addition to Buzz; a link to an informative quarterly review of Ion Channels in Clinical Development. Blogging It: Ion Channels in Clinical Drug DevelopmentI'll open this installment by introducing the new regular addition to Buzz; a link to a quarterly blog written by "The Channelogist" Marc Rogers that will surely be of wide interest and value to the Bioelectricity community.You can access it here: https://www.ionchannellibrary.com/ expert_opinions/ion-channel-ligands-in-clinical-development-quarterly-review-q3-2024/ I encourage you to have a look.It contains a clear synopsis of what's new in clinical treatments, including promising advances, continuing challenges, and opportunities to explore.This time it covers wide-ranging treatments related to cardiac disease, cystic fibrosis, respiratory diseases, pain, dry eye, epilepsy, essential tremor, and other neurological conditions.Links to previous articles are there too for your perusal, so you won't miss anything.Good (Ahem) Vibrations: Mechanosensitive Ion Channels Drive Neuronal Firing in Genitalia I'll bet I have your attention now.Yup, this article is about how vibration and light touch may stimulate Piezo 2 ion channels in the sensory organs of mouse genitalia.This observation has implications beyond mechanistic biological understanding that include the urge to breed.