Summary, originally published in Irish Medical Times
Targeting microRNA-134 may have therapeutic applications for the treatment of epileptic seizures in children, according to a new Irish-led study using rodents.
MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate protein levels, and perform important roles in establishing and maintaining neuronal network function. Previous studies in adult rodents have detected upregulation of microRNA-134 after prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) and demonstrated that silencing microRNA-134 using antisense oligonucleotides, termed antagomirs, has potent and long-lasting seizure-suppressive effects.
In a recent paper, published in the January 2021 edition of the journal Scientific Reports, researchers told how they investigated whether targeting microRNA-134 would reduce or delay acute seizures in the immature brain.
Noting that more than a dozen miRNAs have been reported as potential targets for seizure control in the adult brain, the researchers said that miRNAs in addition to miR-134 would “provide a rich set of anti-seizure targets for investigation.”