title: Novel frontiers in epilepsy treatments: preventing epileptogenesis by targeting inflammation.
abstract: Currently available epilepsy drugs only affect the symptoms (seizures), and there is a need for innovative treatments that target the underlying disease. Increasing evidence points to inflammation as a potentially important mechanism in epileptogenesis. In the last decade, a new generation of etiologically realistic syndrome-specific experimental models have been developed, which are expected to capture the epileptogenic mechanisms operating in corresponding patient populations, and to exhibit similar treatment responsiveness. Recently, an intervention known to have broad-ranging anti-inflammatory effects (selective brain cooling) has been found to prevent the development of spontaneously occurring seizures in an etiologically realistic rat model of post-traumatic epilepsy. Several drugs used clinically for other indications also have the potential for inhibiting inflammation, and should be investigated for antiepileptogenic activity in these models. If results of such studies are positive, these compounds could rapidly enter Phase III trials in patients at high risk of developing epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
authors.forename: Raimondo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Ambrosio
authors.forename: Clifford L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Eastman
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fattore
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perucca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000494:pharmacology; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000927:Anticonvulsants