GRIN2B Foundation is pleased to announce an award of $25,000 to Dr. Stephen Traynelis’s Lab at Emory University for a project entitled:

“The Impact of NMDA Receptor Potentiation on Synaptic Plasticity in GRIN2B LOF Variants”

Dr. Traynelis is a Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA, and the Director of the Center for Functional Evaluation of Rare Variants (CFERV). For this project, the lab will test whether administration of an allosteric potentiator of NMDA receptors can rectify deficient synaptic plasticity observed in mice harboring a LOF GRIN2B variant.

“We are delighted to have received additional financial support from the GRIN2B foundation for our work on GRIN2B variants identified in patients. Our past funding has allowed us to translate in vitro functional results with GRIN2B variants into animal models, which we have developed, characterized, and are using to assess potential treatments. This latest round of funding will allow us to significantly expand our efforts on translational work with GRIN2B variants and animal models that are directed toward assessing potential therapeutic strategies. Specifically, these funds will accelerate our current work assessing how NMDA receptor potentiation (through glycine site agonists or positive allosteric positive modulators) can restore deficits in cellular models of learning observed in mice harboring a GRIN2B variant that reduces in vitro models of plasticity. We are excited to complete these experiments, and look forward to working to move our research results on a translational path toward establishing new therapeutic strategies.” – Dr. Stephen Traynelis

Hear Dr. Traynelis and Board President, Liz Marfia-Ash speak about this project on our Giving Tuesday Facebook Live around the 20:15 mark.

Read about our previously funded projects here.

We would not be able to continue funding GRIN2B research without our community of patients, families, scientists, clinicians and people like you. Thank you for believing in and powering our mission. Make a donation today and impact vital research as we drive closer to treatments every single day.

Our team is always working to identify additional research projects to fund. Stay tuned for our next research funding announcement in mid January.  

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Thank you,

Liz Marfia-Ash, GRIN2B Foundation Board President