Enduring Seizure Suppression and Cognitive Restoration with Brief Tofacitinib Exposure in Chronic Epilepsy: Drug Repurposing for Disease Modification
University of Wisconsin-Madison
2024
Avtar Roopra, PhD
It is estimated that 65 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and 30% of them don’t respond to current drugs. Dr. Roopra’s team analyzed genetic data from mouse models of epilepsy and from human samples. They found that tofacitinib (Xeljanz®), an FDA-approved drug, significantly reduced seizures and improved memory and cognition in mice with chronic epilepsy after a few days of treatment. The team now plans to study how long the drug’s protective effects last after a single, short-term treatment, and check for any long-lasting side effects. The data from this research could help advance the drug to the next stages of development for treating epilepsy.
