A New Villain in Neuronal Death – A newly discovered partnership for glutamate triggers brain toxicity

Excitotoxicity is the process by which the excitatory amino acid neurotransmitter glutamate causes neuronal toxicity (1). A landmark study in 1987 revealed that Ca²⁺ influx into neurons through glutamate N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor channels (NMDARs) could trigger excitotoxicity (2), making Ca²⁺ ions potential villains as well as functionally critical signaling molecules in neurons.