University of California, Irvine researchers have made human-frog hybrid cells that can be used to directly study neurotransmitter signaling of brain-cell membranes from people who had autism, epilepsy, or other neurological disorders.

Brain cell membranes (taken from brain tissue samples of deceased patients with a particular disease) contain neurotransmitter receptors and channels to let molecules through the membranes. When the membranes are fused with frog eggs, the receptors and channels function again and react to neurotransmitters, creating a measurable voltage.

The combination acts as a surrogate for a living brain with the condition, letting researchers directly observe how human patients’ membranes act. The results could help determine if problems with neurotransmitter receptors underlie a disease.