A technique that revolutionised our understanding of how cells communicate, transforming treatment for diseases like cystic fibrosis, diabetes and hypertension, was in the spotlight this week as Nobel Laureate Erwin Neher reflected on its legacy at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting in Germany.
Neher, along with his colleague Bert Sakmann, received the 1991 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning the function of single ion channels in cells. The pioneering research that led to the development of a laboratory method called the patch-clamp technique, which has vastly enhanced the ability to measure electric currents in cells and continues to shape drug development and disease diagnostics.
His work remains influential across disciplines from neuroscience to pharmacology.
Speaking to this reporter at the 74th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, held in Germany from June 29 to July 4, 2025, Neher emphasised the far-reaching impact of this breakthrough in cellular physiology. “We now understand that ion channels and electrical signals are not limited to nerve or muscle cells. They are essential across nearly all cell types in the human body,” he said.
The discovery provided the first detailed method to detect the tiny electrical currents caused by the movement of ions through single channels in cell membranes. Their work revealed that these channels are vital for fundamental processes such as heartbeat, muscle movement, vision and hearing. Faults in these channels, caused by genetic mutations, are linked to disorders such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis.
“Without functioning ion channels, a person cannot move, the heart will not beat and basic senses like vision and hearing would be impaired,” Neher said. He added that their method has enabled more precise study of these defects and improved the development of therapies.
Now 81, Neher is a physicist at the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, where he continues to research synaptic transmission, the process by which nerve cells communicate.
He also underlined how ion channels have become a prime target in pharmaceutical research. “Drugs like amlodipine, which is a frontline treatment for high blood pressure, were developed using knowledge of ion channels,” he noted. Regulatory agencies like the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now require all new compounds to be screened for potential side effects on cardiac ion channels before clinical trials can begin, improving drug safety.
At Lindau, Neher participated in open discussions with young scientists, sharing insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning cellular communication. “Physiologists once believed that ion channels only mattered in excitable cells. Our method showed they are ubiquitous and critical for nearly every function,” he said.
Neher’s long-term collaboration with Sakmann began in 1974 at the Max Planck Institute and continued across institutions in Germany and the United States. Their landmark paper on single ion channels was published in Nature in 1976. Together, they authored Single-Channel Recording in 1983, a foundational manual for researchers in the field.