The treatment of childhood epilepsy well known as Dravet syndrome is finally about to arrive. The symptoms of this disease are drug-resistant seizures and delays in mental and physical health. Scientists of Nature communications have discovered that the stripes of zebra fish carry a particular mutation which may help in the treatment of paediatric epilepsy. Certain experiments were conducted on the zebra fish by Scott C. Baraban, Ph.D and his colleagues in the University of California where they developed an innovative screening process to rapidly categorize probable treatments for Dravet Syndrome utilising this fish. Accompanying them were National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
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The larval zebra fish which is a wild breed carries a mutation in the Scn1a gene which helps in drug screening for this epilepsy. This kind of epilepsy is found because of lack of sodium ion in the brain which helps in brain cells and proper functioning of the brain.
Zebra is said to have the Scn1a mutation that cause dravet syndrome in humans which display some characteristics like impulsive seizures. Senseless seizure activity was found in the mutant zebra fish which resulted in hyperactivity and convulsion which resulted in fast swimming. Normal zebra fish was not associated with these diseases.
The character of a mutant zebra fish was similar to a child with DS. Anti epileptic drugs like benzodiazepines was a treatment to patients as well as the mutant zebra fish. Some drugs did not show any positive results in either epileptic children or mutant zebra fish.
A drug was developed to test the efficiency of an assortment of compounds in the mutant zebra fish. The brain activity and behavior was mapped to see whether compounds had an impact on seizures. After an extensive research it was found out that clemizole which has a safe toxicology report was most successful in slowing down seizure movement. This drug can also be used in epileptic patients some day as per Dr Baraban.
The objective of this experiment which has been partially successful was to offer a suggestion to test high-risk thoughts to see if they are significant. So many experiments remain unresearched because of finance problems. Eureka grant has been assisting in this experiment as per Brandy Fureman, Ph.D., program director at NINDS.
