AMILORIDE SENSITIVE SODIUM CHANNELS ASSOCIATED WITH PANIC DISORDERS

摘要

A method of determining a pre-disposition of a subject to panic disorder is disclosed based on a modified cellular activity of the amiloride sensitive ion channels (ASICs). Other aspects of the invention relate to compounds for treatment of panic disorder (e.g. psalmotoxins, FMRF-amide and GsMTx4) and for methods of identifying candidate compounds for treatment of panic disorder. An association of amiloride sensitive ion channels and panic disorder is disclosed. More specially, polymorphisms have been identified that associate to a pre-disposition of panic disorder. The discovered polymorphisms are located in the 3'UTR (untranslated region) an ACCN gene, and it is believed that the polymorphisms ultimately affect the cellular activity of the amiloride sensitive ion channel.