MODULATION OF AN ION CHANNEL OR RECEPTOR

摘要

This invention relates to a method of assaying a compound for its ability to modulate an ion channel or receptor type, the method comprising: a) providing a dynamic clamp in electrical contact with a biological cell (or part thereof) in which one or more ion channel or receptor types for providing a waveform are functional and in which one or more ion channel or receptor types for providing a waveform are either not present or not functional; b) causing the dynamic clamp to apply a signal simulating the function of at least one of the one or more ion channel or receptor types that are either not present or not functional in the biological cell (or part thereof) based on modulation of the ion channel or receptor types that are functional in the biological cell (or part thereof) to thereby provide the waveform at the biological cell (or part thereof); c) exposing at least one of the one or more functional ion channel or receptor types to a compound; and d) detecting modulation of the waveform at the biological cell (or part thereof), wherein modulation of the waveform is indicative of a compound that modulates the at least one functional ion channel or receptor types.