title: GABA-ergic cell therapy for epilepsy: Advances, limitations and challenges.
abstract: Diminution in the number of gamma-amino butyric acid positive (GABA-ergic) interneurons and their axon terminals, and/or alterations in functional inhibition are conspicuous brain alterations believed to contribute to the persistence of seizures in acquired epilepsies such as temporal lobe epilepsy. This has steered a perception that replacement of lost GABA-ergic interneurons would improve inhibitory synaptic neurotransmission in the epileptic brain region and thereby reduce the occurrence of seizures. Indeed, studies using animal prototypes have reported that grafting of GABA-ergic progenitors derived from multiple sources into epileptic regions can reduce seizures. This review deliberates recent advances, limitations and challenges concerning the development of GABA-ergic cell therapy for epilepsy. The efficacy and limitations of grafts of primary GABA-ergic progenitors from the embryonic lateral ganglionic eminence and medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), neural stem/progenitor cells expanded from MGE, and MGE-like progenitors generated from human pluripotent stem cells for alleviating seizures and co-morbidities of epilepsy are conferred. Additional studies required for possible clinical application of GABA-ergic cell therapy for epilepsy are also summarized.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, United States; Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College Station, TX, United States. Electronic address: shetty@medicine.tamhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Ashok K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.affiliation: Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, TX, United States; Research Service, Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center, Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, United States; Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, College Station, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Upadhya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000628:therapy*; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: Epilepsy; GABA-ergic interneurons; Lateral ganglionic eminence; Medial ganglionic eminence; Neural cell grafts; Pain; Schizophrenia; Stem cell therapy; Temporal lobe epilepsy