Molecular sensor measures lithium levels in neurons

Abstract

For people with bipolar disorder, lithium can be a godsend—if it works. The drug, discovered in 1949 , is effective for only about a third of people with the condition. And one of the challenges in using it is its very narrow therapeutic window—too small a dose doesn’t work, whereas too large a dose causes toxicity, resulting in side effects such as tremors and kidney failure. Researchers have now developed a DNA-based sensor that measures lithium-ion levels in neurons at concentrations close to that therapeutic range, 0.6–1.2 mM ( ACS Cent. Sci. 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.1c00843 ). The researchers believe that such a tool could be used both to help adjust lithium doses for people with bipolar disorder and to probe the drug’s mechanism of action, which is poorly understood. “From that mechanistic understanding, we hope to gain insight into either better drugs for bipolar disorder or better use of this