Rewiring the Brain to Fight Epilepsy

August 3, 2018

Biologist Suzanne Paradis’ lab suppressed seizures in mice by changing the connections between neurons.

Researchers in the lab of Associate Professor of Biology Suzanne Paradis have discovered a novel treatment for reducing seizure activity in the brains of rodents, a discovery they hope might one day help people living with epilepsy. The research was published this spring in the journal Epilepsia.

Paradis’s lab researches synapses, the connections between brain cells. Most synapses are excitatory — they facilitate the passage of signals from one brain cell to another. Others though are inhibitory, thwarting transmission.

In the latest research, the Paradis group worked with mice with symptoms resembling those found in epileptic humans. They applied an infusion of Sema4D into the animals’ brains. The mice experienced a reduction in the severity of their seizures.