Credit score: Theranostics (2024). DOI: 10.7150/thno.97254
A brand new worldwide research has unveiled crucial insights in understanding post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), a situation that may develop following traumatic mind harm. Printed in Theranostics, the research highlights the necessary function performed by a receptor within the mind known as P2X7. It suggests how we might each scale back epilepsy danger and predict which sufferers are most susceptible to growing PTE by focusing on this receptor.
Traumatic mind harm (TBI), brought on by bodily trauma to the top, is among the main causes of long-term incapacity and dying worldwide. PTE is a standard final result, characterised by recurring seizures that profoundly affect the standard of life. In the meanwhile, as much as 30% of PTE sufferers don’t reply to present medicines, and no therapies are at present obtainable to foretell or forestall the event of epilepsy following traumatic mind harm.
The collaborative analysis identifies the P2X7 receptor as a key driver of irregular mind exercise after mind harm. The work was led by FutureNeuro and RCSI, and concerned Trinity Faculty Dublin, CIC biomaGUNE, Soochow College, and the Institute for Stroke and Dementia Analysis.
In preclinical fashions, blocking this receptor shortly after harm considerably decreased mind hyperexcitability, minimized mind harm, and improved habits, underscoring its promise as a therapeutic goal for stopping epilepsy.
By trying on the exercise of the P2X7 receptor utilizing a PET scan, the authors additionally counsel a possible new diagnostic device. The uptake by the mind of a specialised P2X7 receptor tracer shortly after harm was discovered to correlate with seizure danger weeks later. This device might assist clinicians determine at-risk sufferers early, enabling well timed and tailor-made interventions.
Dr. Tobias Engel, FutureNeuro Investigator and Senior Lecturer within the RCSI Division of Physiology and Medical Physics, commented, “Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of epilepsy in adults, with many patients unable to benefit from existing anti-seizure treatments. Our research has identified the P2X7 receptor as a promising new target, offering the potential to prevent epilepsy before it develops, sparing patients from seizures and the burdens of ongoing medication.”
Dr. David Loane, Affiliate Professor in Neuroscience at Trinity Faculty Dublin, added, “While additional research is required to confirm our findings and explore their application in clinical settings, we’ve made a significant step forward in addressing the unmet need for early intervention in post-traumatic epilepsy. This was made possible through extensive multidisciplinary collaboration, demonstrating the power of shared expertise in advancing epilepsy research.”
Dr. Jordi Llop, Principal Investigator at CIC biomaGUNE, mentioned, “By identifying a potential therapeutic target and a corresponding predictive diagnostic tool, this research opens new avenues for personalized care, improved outcomes and a better quality of life for patients with traumatic brain injury at risk of epilepsy.”
Extra info:
Mariana Alves et al, P2X7R antagonism suppresses long-lasting mind hyperexcitability following traumatic mind harm in mice, Theranostics (2024). DOI: 10.7150/thno.97254
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Mind receptor research presents hope for stopping epilepsy after traumatic mind harm (2025, January 27)
retrieved 27 January 2025
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