Dravet Syndrome

Dravet syndrome is devastating infantile-onset epilepsy, often accompanied by severe intellectual disabilities, hyperactive behavior, autistic traits, and ataxia. The discovery in 2001 of theSCN1Amutation as a primary cause of this syndrome has accelerated our understanding of the pathophysiological processes underlying Dravet syndrome. SCN1A encodes the α-subunit of the voltage-gated sodium channel, NaV1.1. Recent studies using genetically modified mouse models have indicated that haplo insufficiency of NaV1.1inGABAergic inhibitory inter neurons in the forebrain may be involved in the seizure susceptibility, fever sensitivity of seizures, premature death, and autistic traits characteristic of Dravet syndrome. Dravet syndrome (DS)is a devastating epilepsy syndrome, which was first described by Dr. Charlotte Dravet in 1978 . Generalized or unilateral clonic seizures appear in previously healthy infants, and are frequently associated with fever . These seizures tend to evolve into status epilepticus and occur frequently especially during the early phases of DS. By taking advantage of these human disease models, functional vulnerabilities in GABAergic neurons have been revealed. Here, we review recent advances in Dravet syndrome research, particularly focusing on the development of iPSC models, and their future directions. Norimichi Higurashi, Current Trends in Dravet syndrome Research

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Last date updated on April, 2024