Article published by Medical Xpress
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common types of epilepsy worldwide. Although symptomatic medications are available, one-third of TLE patients remain unresponsive to current treatment, so new drug targets are critically needed. A research team co-led by a City University of Hong Kong (CityU) neuroscientist has recently identified and developed a new drug candidate with the potential for effectively treating TLE by suppressing neuroinflammation.
A research team co-led by Dr. Geoffrey Lau Chun-yue, Assistant Professor in the CityU Department of Neuroscience, identified a new, small organic molecule called D4, whose effects the team investigated in treating TLE using a mouse model. The findings suggest that D4 strongly suppresses TLE-induced neuroinflammation, curbs TLE seizures, and increases the animal’s survival rate.
“These are very exciting and encouraging results for translational research in epilepsy,” said Dr. Lau. “We have found a very promising new drug candidate for treating epilepsy that works through a new mechanism—blocking connexin hemichannels. Our findings also highlight the important involvement of neuroinflammation in neurological disorders such as epilepsy.”