Patent ID: 8252541

Claim:
An in vitro method of identifying a modulator of a human sodium channel α-subunit expression or activity, the method comprising the steps of: i) contacting a cell that expresses a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 with a candidate modulator substance; ii) monitoring the expression or ion channel activity of the protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; and iii) comparing the expression or ion channel activity of the protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 with expression or ion channel activity of the protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 in a cell not exposed to said candidate modulator substance; wherein an alteration in the expression or ion channel activity of the protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 in a cell exposed to the candidate modulator substance compared to a cell not exposed to the candidate modulator substance indicates that the candidate modulator substance is a modulator of human sodium channel α-subunit expression or activity.