Calcium gluconate has been empirically administered to hasten recovery of force during an episode of periodic paralysis. By using a genetically engineered mouse model, Uwera and colleagues show that low Ca2+ clearly promotes a loss of force in affected muscle, thereby providing the first evidence for the benefit of maintaining normal Ca2+ levels in this disorder.

Polyamines can modulate membrane excitability by blocking ion flux through ion channels. Suma et al. determined the location of the binding site for polyamines inside a model potassium channel pore.

Study suggests that the fragile X syndrome-associated protein FMRP can interact with different types of BK channels and modulate their kinetics in different ways.