CURE Epilepsy Discovery

As a Marine deployed in Afghanistan, Captain Jack Somers was familiar with operating in stealth mode, hidden from enemies. But unbeknownst to him, similarly covert changes were taking root in his brain after a particularly close grenade blast experienced in 2010 while serving overseas. This likely set in motion a cascade of brain changes that announced themselves one month later, in the form of Jack’s first-ever seizure.


But neither Somers — nor his doctors — were aware of his risk at the time. Instead, it seemed as though his first seizure came out of nowhere, at a local Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot, soon after completing his Afghanistan tour.

Somers’ story highlights key unknowns in the science of PTE. How can we recognize someone who is at risk for PTE after a head injury? Is it possible to prevent seizure development before it starts? Can we treat PTE to keep it from progressing to other parts of the brain?


Since 2017, CURE Epilepsy has been committed to answering these questions. This has meant supporting research to uncover the fundamental changes that lay the groundwork for epilepsy to take hold in the brain in the first place — a process referred to as “epileptogenesis.” Beginning with the PTE Initiative, funded with $10 million from the US Department of Defense, CURE Epilepsy charged six multidisciplinary teams of scientists to study the changes that unfold in the brain after injury, and to find telltale signs of risk for PTE. As the original PTE Initiative nears completion, its momentum continues in the form of CURE Epilepsy’s new project called the PTE Astrocyte Biomarkers Initiative (PABI) that focuses on astrocytes, the support cells in the brain responsible for maintaining neuron health.

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Our mission is to find a cure for epilepsy, by promoting and funding patient-focused research. CURE Epilepsy is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Our tax identification number is 36-4253176.