JERUSALEM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- An international research team has developed a new gene therapy that activates only during seizures and may help prevent epilepsy from progressing, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Monday.
The new treatment, described in Nature's Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, works with the brain's natural activity rather than constantly intervening, switching on only when brain cells become unusually active to trigger a protective response that limits damage.
At the center of the therapy is a protein called Nrf2, which helps protect cells from oxidative stress, a harmful process linked to seizures and brain injury.
To ensure the protein is activated only when needed, the scientists combined it with a genetic switch that responds to excessive neuronal activity.
In experiments, the treatment reduced the severity and frequency of seizures and increased seizure-free periods. It also improved memory, behavior, and overall brain function.
The therapy remained effective even when administered after the disease process had begun, raising hopes that it could benefit people with long-standing or drug-resistant epilepsy. ■
