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Epilepsy: From Molecular Basis to Therapy, 2nd Edition

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 843

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Interests: epilepsy; neuronal inhibition; neuronal regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Epilepsy is a generalizable neuropathology arising from a wide range of etiologies, including genetic malfunctions, metabolic disorders, and brain trauma. Regardless of the underlying cause, an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is often associated with epilepsy. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing proper excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is therefore important for identifying relevant therapeutic targets. In this Special Issue, we aim to cover the latest research on the molecular mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis, as well as rational therapeutic designs based on the latest knowledge. We will focus specifically on three areas of research: (1) ion channels or transporters that underlie excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmissions, (2) the reversibility of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmissions during epileptogenesis, and (3) epilepsy models that enable systematic investigations into rational approaches for therapeutic design, including molecularly based targeted therapies such as gene therapy and chaperone therapies.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Henry Hing Cheong Lee
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • genetic epilepsy
  • post-traumatic epilepsy
  • neurodevelopmental disorder
  • glutamate
  • GABA
  • ionic homeostasis
  • disease-modifying therapy
  • in vitro
  • in vivo
  • animal model
  • gene replacement therapy
  • gene editing
  • protein misfolding
  • small molecule
  • pharmacokinetics
  • pharmacodynamics
  • translational research
  • biomarker
  • clinical trial

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1835 KiB  
Article
Dual Mechanisms of the Diazepine-Benzimidazole Derivative, DAB-19, in Modulating Glutamatergic Neurotransmission
by Maxim V. Nikolaev, Irina M. Fedorova, Oxana V. Chistyakova, Tatiana Yu. Postnikova, Kira Kh. Kim, Mikhail Yu. Dron, Aleksey V. Zaitsev and Denis B. Tikhonov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(11), 5299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26115299 - 30 May 2025
Viewed by 385
Abstract
The search for novel compounds with anticonvulsant properties remains a key focus in neuropharmacology. Recently, the diazepine-benzimidazole derivative, DAB-19, has emerged as a promising candidate due to its demonstrated anxiolytic and analgesic effects. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms underlying DAB-19’s activity, [...] Read more.
The search for novel compounds with anticonvulsant properties remains a key focus in neuropharmacology. Recently, the diazepine-benzimidazole derivative, DAB-19, has emerged as a promising candidate due to its demonstrated anxiolytic and analgesic effects. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms underlying DAB-19’s activity, focusing on its impact on glutamatergic transmission, a key target in the pathophysiology of various central nervous system disorders. Intriguingly, while DAB-19 suppressed evoked glutamatergic transmission in rat brain slices, it simultaneously enhanced spontaneous neurotransmission. Further experiments on glutamatergic neuromuscular synapses in fly larvae revealed two distinct mechanisms: calcium-dependent potentiation of glutamate release and inhibition of spike propagation via blockade of voltage-gated sodium channels. The latter effect was directly confirmed in rat brain neurons. Given its action on sodium channels, we tested DAB-19 in the pentylenetetrazole model, where it delayed seizure onset but did not prevent seizures. These findings position DAB-19 as a multifaceted compound with significant therapeutic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epilepsy: From Molecular Basis to Therapy, 2nd Edition)
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