Tier 3 — preclinical

A new perspective on betaine: Targeting the glycine binding site of the NMDA receptor

Wei-Tang Chang, Mei-Yi Lee, Ya-Jean Wang, Wei-Cheng Huang, Chung-Ping Hsiesh, Chun-Wei Tung, Ming-Huan Chan, Hwei-Hsien Chen
Biochemical pharmacology 2025 242(Pt 3):117213

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 40812583
DOI
10.1016/j.bcp.2025.117213
Funding
Funding was not specified in the indexed record or accessible funding metadata.
Competing interests
Reported disclosure: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Study snapshot

DesignExperimental animal and/or laboratory research
ModelMouse brain slices, cortical neurons and engineered HEK293 cells
SampleExperiment-specific biological replicates and model groups; see original methods
InterventionBetaine with differing glutamate/glycine conditions
DurationIn vitro and ex vivo experiments
EndpointsNMDA receptors; Glycine-binding site; Calcium flux

What the study showed, in plain terms

Published in 2025, this source examined preclinical aging, brain and metabolic mechanisms. Design: Experimental animal and/or laboratory research. Sample/model: Experiment-specific biological replicates and model groups; see original methods. The exposure or intervention was Betaine with differing glutamate/glycine conditions. Follow-up or treatment period: In vitro and ex vivo experiments.

Betaine modified NMDA-receptor activity in opposite directions depending on receptor and co-ligand context.

Experimental model evidence. The intervention, concentrations and outcomes do not establish an effective human supplement dose or a clinical treatment benefit.

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Key findings

  • Betaine modified NMDA-receptor activity in opposite directions depending on receptor and co-ligand context.
  • The recorded outcome domains were NMDA receptors; Glycine-binding site; Calcium flux.
  • The result applies to the tested exposure: Betaine with differing glutamate/glycine conditions; In vitro and ex vivo experiments.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Experimental model evidence. The intervention, concentrations and outcomes do not establish an effective human supplement dose or a clinical treatment benefit.
  • Cell concentrations, species, disease models and experimental routes cannot be converted directly into an effective or safe oral human regimen.
  • Source basis: Indexed abstract and bibliographic data. Missing method details, funding information or participant denominators are not inferred.

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Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology