Researchers discover micro-gene that protects brain from developing epilepsy
Recognizing the importance of miR-211 could open new avenues for diagnosing and interfering with epilepsy.
By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
For some people, exposure to intensely bright flashing lights can trigger bouts of epilepsy, while others remain unaffected.“Dynamic changes in the amount of miR-211 in the forebrains of these mice shifted the threshold for spontaneous and pharmacologically induced seizures, alongside changes in the cholinergic pathway genes,” said Soreq.
“It is important to discover how only some people’s brains present a susceptibility to seizures, while others don’t, even when subjected to these same stressors,” noted Soreq. In searching for the physiological mechanisms that allow some people’s brains to avoid epilepsy, we found that increased levels of micro-RNA 211 could have a protective effect.”