Coming Down the Pike: Treating Epilepsy
Scientists studying epilepsy have traditionally focused on the comings and goings of ions through molecular channels in nerve cells, and many current antiseizure therapies seek to modulate that dynamic.
Scientists studying epilepsy have traditionally focused on the comings and goings of ions through molecular channels in nerve cells, and many current antiseizure therapies seek to modulate that dynamic. However, some people don't respond to channel-based therapies, causing scientists to look further for other molecular activities to target therapeutically in epilepsy management. A recent report suggests they may have found one. A paper published in Nature Medicine points to a possible inflammatory interaction between white blood cells and blood-vessel walls that appears to damage the barrier that prevents unwanted substances from flowing into or out of the brain, the so-called blood–brain barrier. The researchers found an increase in "sticky" adhesion molecules on both white blood cells and on the cells lining the blood vessels in the brain of mice in whom epileptic-like seizures had been induced. This interaction, they proposed, might be therapeutically blocked by monoclonal antibodies, thus reducing the severity and incidence of seizures. Source: P.F. Pabene et al., "A Role for Leukocyte–Endothelial Adhesion Mechanisms in Epilepsy," Nature Medicine 14, 1377–1383 (2008).
Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines
April 30th 2024In this episode fo the Drug Solutions Podcast, etherna’s vice-president of Technology and Innovation, Stefaan De Koker, discusses the merits and challenges of using mRNA as the foundation for therapeutics in oncology as well as for vaccines.
Drug Solutions Podcast: Applying Appropriate Analytics to Drug Development
March 26th 2024In this episode of the Drug Solutions Podcast, Jan Bekker, Vice President of Business Development, Commercial and Technical Operations at BioCina, discusses the latest analytical tools and their applications in the drug development market.
