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Epilepsy Research News
November 2025
This month, we share the following articles and abstracts which are furthering the study of epilepsy and bringing the world closer to a cure.
* Scientists Fix Genetic Defect in Mice Tied to Brain Disorders that Include Autism and Epilepsy ([link removed])
* Personalizing Electrical Stimulation for Focal Epilepsy ([link removed])
* From Caraway to Cure: Engineering CBD-like Seizure Treatments Without Cannabis ([link removed])
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** Scientists Fix Genetic Defect in Mice Tied to Brain Disorders that Include Autism and Epilepsy
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In an exciting scientific first, researchers at the Allen Institute successfully designed a new gene therapy that reversed symptoms related to SYNGAP1-related disorders (SRD) in mice. These are a class of brain disorders that can lead to severe and debilitating symptoms, including intellectual disability, epilepsy, motor problems, and risk-taking behaviors in people. In most cases, SRDs are caused when someone has only one working copy of the SYNGAP1 gene instead of the normal two copies.
The findings, recently published in the journal Molecular Therapy, represent the first successful gene supplementation therapy for SRDs in which an adeno-associated virus (AAV) was used to deliver a working copy of the SYNGAP1 gene into brain cells. AAVs are non-replicating viruses that act like delivery trucks carrying therapeutic cargo, in this case the SYNGAP1 gene, into cells that need it.
Learn More ([link removed])
** Personalizing Electrical Stimulation for Focal Epilepsy
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In the relentless pursuit to refine treatments for focal epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by seizures originating from a localized brain region, researchers have taken a groundbreaking step forward by harnessing the intricate connectivity networks between the thalamus and cortex—termed thalamocortical hodology.
The innovative framework, recently detailed in a high-impact study, leverages advanced neural mapping and stimulation techniques to tailor interventions for people with focal epilepsy with unprecedented precision.
The scientific discipline of hodology investigates the pathways and connections of neural fibers. Using state-of-the-art neuroimaging modalities and computational modeling, the researchers mapped the thalamocortical projections in exquisite detail. By characterizing these circuits’ connectivity patterns and identifying nodes with high seizure propagation potential, the team developed an algorithm capable of predicting the most effective stimulation targets for each patient.
Learn More ([link removed])
** From Caraway to Cure: Engineering CBD-like Seizure Treatments Without Cannabis
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A team of researchers has co-opted a common kitchen spice to create a new class of cannabidiol (CBD)-like medicines that show powerful seizure-reducing effects, offering a safer, more affordable, and more effective treatment for childhood seizure disorders than existing frontline therapies.
Caraway seeds — a seasoning commonly used in both savory and sweet dishes and also known as meridian fennel — are the key ingredient behind researchers’ method. By altering the shape of the seeds’ main chemical component, the scientists were able to enhance the most favorable therapeutic properties of CBD and create a library of CBD-like medicines that are free of THC (the psychoactive compound in cannabis). Preclinical trials showed that the caraway-derived therapies packed a greater punch in stopping seizures — and did so without the adverse brain effects known to occur with long-term use of benzodiazepines, the class of anticonvulsant drugs most popularly prescribed for treating developmental epilepsy syndromes.
Learn More ([link removed])
** Check out the latest…
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Seizing Life Podcast 🎙️
A Mother and Neurologist Shares Her Son’s Amazing Journey From Traumatic Birth to Seizure Freedom ([link removed])
Epilepsy Explained 🧪
Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Explained ([link removed])
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