

Published: Saturday, December 29, 2012 at 07:24 PM.

The resulting dead tissue can’t be brought back to life, but research suggests that with the correct amount of brevetoxin, the brain can be trained to redirect those nerve impulses to other living cells.

“The toxins open little doors called ion channels, which are responsible for nerve transmissions,” Baden said. “They open and close in a specific fashion that allows the nerve to function and fire. What brevetoxins do in high concentration is cause all those little doors to open, and that means all the nerves fire at the same time. It’s lethal.”

But at the correct concentration, the toxin can help the nerves to function normally, he said.

“You back off on the dose of a toxin that you give to a nerve cell, and instead of all the nerve channels opening at the same time, they function a little bit better,” he said. “By responding to the chemical, they open to an extent that they mimic what would normally happen.”

Research is ongoing, and the next step involves focusing on specific molecules to help determine which ones affect individual nerve functions. Ultimately, the goal is to help develop a medication, but that’s probably at least a decade away, Baden said.

“For me, it’s kind of bittersweet. You make the discovery and we’re really excited about it and the first thing that happens is people call and say, ‘I have a brother who’s had a stroke. Can you help him?’” he said. “All of this basic and applied research that we do actually does benefit mankind ultimately. These are long-term views that we have to have.”

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