STX-bpc: "Brightening" the path to neuronal inhibition.

ABSTRACT

In this issue of Cell Chemical Biology, Elleman et al.1 introduce a transformative chemical approach to control neuronal activity with high spatial and temporal resolution. The authors present STX-bpc, a potent neurotoxin that naturally inhibits voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs), complementing available optogenetic methods for manipulating neuronal activity, cellular communication, and behavior.