Discovery of brain-repair process could lead to new epilepsy treatments
These new discoveries will help produce new, better epilepsy medication as one-third of those who take this medication find it doesn't work for them.
A previously unknown repair process that takes place in the brain has been discovered by researchers, and they hope to harness it to treat seizure-related brain injuries.
University
of Virginia School of Medicine researchers used high-powered imaging to
see immune cells called microglia healing damaged neurons after
seizures.
Their findings have been published in the journal Cell Reports, a press release from the university announced on Thursday.
“There
has been mounting generic support for the idea that microglia could be
used to ameliorate seizures, but direct, visualized evidence for how
they could do this has been lacking,” said researcher Ukpong B. Eyo,
PhD, of UVA’s Department of Neuroscience, the UVA Brain Institute and
UVA’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG).
“Our
results indicate that microglia may not be simply clearing debris but
providing structural support for neuronal integrity that may have
implications even beyond the scope of seizures and epilepsy.”
Seizure-preventing drugs don't work for approximately a third of epilepsy
patients, so this discovery could lead to new and better treatments for
such brain injuries. However, according to the researchers, there's
still more to go.
“Although
these findings are exciting, there is yet a lot to follow up on them.
For example, the precise mechanisms that regulate the interactions
remain to be identified. Moreover, at present, the ‘healing’ feature is
suggested from correlational results, and more definitive studies are
required to certify the nature of the ‘healing,’” Eyo said.
“If
these questions can be answered, they will provide a rationale for
developing approaches to enhance this process … in seizure contexts.”
More
than 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, according to the WHO.
It is the most common chronic brain disease and can affect any person of
any age.
Eyo has
received two grants from the National Institutes of Health to continue
his study. This will enable him to study how the immune cells help
regulate vascular function, which could be important in studying
diseases such as Alzheimer's.
“With
this new funding, we are eager to clarify roles for microglia in
seizure disorders and vascular function,” he said. “UVA’s continued
investment in neuroscience research provides a suitable home for our
lab’s research.”
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