With around 550 thousand cases in Italy and more than 50 million worldwide, theepilepsy it is among the most common neurological pathologies, characterized by excessive neuronal activity that compromises normal brain functioning.
Now thanks to a recent study, a new potential treatment for epilepsy, particularly for drug-resistant patients, has arrived, which draws inspiration from fireflies and their natural light-emitting process. This new strategy was developed by a team of Italian researchers led by Fabio Benfenati of the Italian Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital and the University of Genoa.
The new approach, described in the magazine Nature Communicationsexploit the bioluminescence of fireflies to counteract the excessive activation of neurons typical of epileptic seizures.
Epilepsy in children: symptoms, causes and what to do
The study
At the moment the treatment is based onoptogeneticsi.e. rather invasive light stimulation, which requires the insertion of optical fibers into the brain. The new therapy, however, uses the enzymes of fireflies and some marine animals to target exclusively the neurons responsible for epileptic seizures.
Thanks to targeted genetic modification, there is no need for invasive surgery. The treatment involves a simple localized injection in the affected area and is activated through intravenous administration of a drug.
At the moment, the study is still in the experimental phase, so it is not possible to know when the treatment will be available for epilepsy patients. However, the researchers’ work continues, as underlined by Elisabetta Colombo who declared:
As we continue with the testing, the goal is to make the therapy less and less invasive. Much will depend on future funding and regulations that will regulate the use of these innovative treatments.
Source: Nature Communications
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