Prof. Dr. Frank Bosmans is a biophysicist whose research focuses on the role of various ion channels and GABAA receptors in neuronal function, both in health and disease. His current work primarily investigates voltage-gated sodium channel function, their pharmacological sensitivities, and their contributions to sensory perception processes including pain and chronic itch. Due to the widespread expression of these channels across various neuronal tissues, Prof. Bosmans' research has expanded to explore their role in the sympathetic nervous system. Since the sympathetic nervous system innervates every organ in the human body, mutations in voltage-gated sodium channels present in these tissues can result in (hereditary) disruptive dysautonomia disorders such as primary focal hyperhidrosis, postural orthostatic intolerance syndrome, and generalized anxiety, among others. Furthermore, these ion channels may play a role in a "two-hit hypothesis," where a genetic predisposition, combined with external triggers such as infections, can lead to chronic conditions. As part of a larger international research consortium, Dr. Bosmans' work aims to address the many unknowns in this challenging field, with the ultimate goal of translating these discoveries into clinical practice. During this seminar, Dr Bosmans will discuss previous collaborative work related to epilepsy, pain, and itch in combination with recent, unpublished results on NaV1.9 and primary dysautonomia.

Five papers

Anxiety and dysautonomia symptoms in patients with a Nav1.7 mutation and the potential benefits of low-dose short-acting guanfacine. de Cássia Collaço R, Lammens M, Blevins C, Rodgers K, Gurau A, Yamauchi S, Kim C, Forrester J, Liu E, Ha J, Mei Y, Boehm C, Wohler E, Sobreira N, Rowe PC, Valle D, Brock MV, Bosmans F. Clin Auton Res. 2024 Feb;34(1):191-201.

Understanding the physiological role of Nav1.9: Challenges and opportunities for pain modulation. Brackx W, Collaço RC, Theys M, Vander Cruyssen J, Bosmans F. Pharmacol Ther. 2023 May;245:108416. doi: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108416.

Structural basis of α-scorpion toxin action on Nav channels. Clairfeuille T, Cloake A, Infield DT, Llongueras JP, Arthur CP, Li ZR, Jian Y, Martin-Eauclaire MF, Bougis PE, Ciferri C, Ahern CA, Bosmans F, Hackos DH, Rohou A, Payandeh J. Science. 2019 Mar 22;363(6433):eaav8573. doi: 10.1126/science.aav8573.

A disease mutation reveals a role for Nav1.9 in acute itch. Salvatierra J, Diaz-Bustamante M, Meixiong J, Tierney E, Dong X, Bosmans F. J Clin Invest. 2018 Dec 3;128(12):5434-5447. doi: 10.1172/JCI122481

Selective spider toxins reveal a role for the Nav1.1 channel in mechanical pain. Osteen JD, Herzig V, Gilchrist J, Emrick JJ, Zhang C, Wang X, Castro J, Garcia-Caraballo S, Grundy L, Rychkov GY, Weyer AD, Dekan Z, Undheim EA, Alewood P, Stucky CL, Brierley SM, Basbaum AI, Bosmans F, King GF, Julius D. Nature. 2016 Jun 23;534(7608):494-9. doi: 10.1038/nature17976.