Potential Breakthrough in Seizure Control

[zoobyshoe]

The ketogenic diet mimics aspects of starvation by forcing the body to burn fats instead of carbohydrates. The diet produces ketones in the body, organic compounds that form when the body uses fat, instead of glucose, as a source of energy. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The study, published in the journal Neuron and conducted in genetically-altered mice, found that the effect of the ketogenic diet on epilepsy can be mimicked using a much more specific and non-dietary approach by manipulating a particular protein in mice, said Gary Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study.
“This points toward potential new ways of treating epilepsy in patients for whom current drugs are not effective,” said Yellen.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/...et-prevents-seizures-scientists-may-know-why/

It's been known for over a century that the ketogenic diet is effective but a lot of parents won't adopt it because it requires complete control of every meal. They opt to try and get their kid into a program at Johns Hopkins where, once accepted, the kid goes to live and his meals are controlled by that program. Space is limited and many are turned away.

Experimenting in mice, the researchers found they could mimic the effects of the diet by altering a specific protein, known as BAD. Seizures decreased in the mice.
While the research must first be replicated in humans, Yellen said, in the long run, scientists should be able to target this pathway pharmacologically.

Someone will have to explain to me how they might "manipulate" a protein and what targeting this pathway pharmacologically might entail.

 

[Pythagorean]

One approach: Insert viral vector that will imbed itself in the transcription process

 

[zoobyshoe]

One approach: Insert viral vector that will imbed itself in the transcription process

Feasible in humans?

 

[Pythagorean]

No idea; I've only done it with C elegans. A quick google reveals there's lots of research in that avenue with clinical trials, but I don't know the context.

 

[zoobyshoe]

No idea; I've only done it with C elegans. A quick google reveals there's lots of research in that avenue with clinical trials, but I don't know the context.

O.K. Thanks!

 

[Monique]

Someone will have to explain to me how they might "manipulate" a protein and what targeting this pathway pharmacologically might entail.

In the paper the mice were genetic mutants (that's how they manipulated the protein); you'd only want to edit genetic information if you have very good reasons to do so, because of the relative irreversibility of it. There however is a new oncoming revolution that could change the field of genome editing:

Human gene therapy: Versatile and efficient genome editing in human cells by combining zinc-finger nucleases with adeno-associated viral vectors. Hum Gene Ther. 2012 Mar;23(3):321-9. Epub 2011 Dec 14.

Nature journal: In vivo genome editing restores haemostasis in a mouse model of haemophilia. Nature. 2011 Jun 26;475(7355):217-21. doi: 10.1038/nature10177.

With pharmacologically they mean with medication, they could do a small-molecule screen and find out what molecules bind to the protein and which one of those inhibit the function of the protein.

 

[zoobyshoe]

In the paper the mice were genetic mutants (that's how they manipulated the protein); you'd only want to edit genetic information if you have very good reasons to do so, because of the relative irreversibility of it. There however is a new oncoming revolution that could change the field of genome editing:

Human gene therapy: Versatile and efficient genome editing in human cells by combining zinc-finger nucleases with adeno-associated viral vectors. Hum Gene Ther. 2012 Mar;23(3):321-9. Epub 2011 Dec 14.

Nature journal: In vivo genome editing restores haemostasis in a mouse model of haemophilia. Nature. 2011 Jun 26;475(7355):217-21. doi: 10.1038/nature10177.

With pharmacologically they mean with medication, they could do a small-molecule screen and find out what molecules bind to the protein and which one of those inhibit the function of the protein.

Thanks, Monique. I'm afraid those papers are beyond me. I hope that they are able to develop a med that would take the place of the diet and be just as effective.