Light-sensitive genes to tackle epilepsy

INSERTING LIGHT-SENSITIVE molecular pumps into brain cells could help scientists better understand and eventually even control epilepsy, a conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) will hear next week.

Epilepsy is characterised by a tendency to have recurring brain seizures.

About 35,000 people in Ireland are thought to be affected by the condition, and about one- third of them have hard-to-control epilepsy.

On Monday Prof Merab Kokaia from Lund University Hospital in Sweden will tell Ireland’s first national research conference on epilepsy about his work, which puts light-sensitive chloride pump genes from bacteria into mammalian brain cells growing in the lab to look at their effects on epilepsy-related activity.

When triggered by light, the bacterial system dampens down seizure-associated electrical signals between brain cells.

This “optogenetic” approach that uses light-activated genes provides a powerful tool to research brain function, according to Kokaia.

“[Our] data show that specific cell populations can be addressed by optogenetics in epilepsy models, and that such selective approach may be effective in suppressing seizure activity,” he said.

However, he noted the approach would not be applied to patients in the short term: “There is a long way between showing the principle in laboratory conditions and human application.”

Prof Kokaia’s work is a first step towards possible light-based neural prosthetics that could help control seizures by stimulating appropriate electric patterns in the brain, said Dr David Henshall who, together with Dr Gianpiero Cavalleri from the RCSI, organised next week’s conference.

The meeting, which will also feature a keynote address by Prof Sanjay Sisodiya from University College London on the genetics of epilepsy, is hosted by Epilepsy Research Ireland and marks the launch of the new charity to promote research and awareness of epilepsy here.