Epilepsy drug in development takes new approach to treating the condition, which sees 1 in 10 suffer a seizure in their lifetime

Epilepsy is one of the most prevalent chronic brain disorders, and 30 per cent of those with the most common form of it do not respond to available drugs

Researchers have found a way round that using a treatment that targets a different aspect of epilepsy – inflammation in the brain. Tests on mice show it works

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One in 10 people have at least one seizure in their lifetime. A research team in Hong Kong has found a new way to treat one of the most common forms of epilepsy, and shown it works in mice. Photo: Shutterstock

Lily Canter

Published: 11:22am, 6 Feb 2023Updated: 11:27am, 6 Feb 2023

Neuroscientists have discovered a potential new drug for treating epilepsy.

The research team at City University of Hong Kong have found a way to treat temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in mice by suppressing neuroinflammation.

This form of epilepsy is one of the most common worldwide. Although medications are available to treat its symptoms, one third of TLE patients remain unresponsive to current treatment.

Dr Geoffrey Lau Chun-yue, an assistant professor in the department of neuroscience, described the results as exciting and encouraging.

Geoffrey Lau (left) and his research team, Guo Anni and Li Huanhuan. Photo: Dr Geoffrey Lau Chun-yue

“We have found a very promising new drug candidate for treating epilepsy that works through a new mechanism. Our findings also highlight the important involvement of neuroinflammation in neurological disorders such as epilepsy,” he added.