Drug Prevents Epilepsy Following Traumatic Brain Injury In Rats
Monday, July 20, 2009 - 02:14
in Health & Medicine
According to one theory, severe head injury causes leaks in the blood-brain barrier that allow entry of serum albumen, which triggers epilepsy and seizures. Scientists now show that albumen interacts with the TGF-beta receptor on astrocytes, triggering a cascade of events that lead to epilepsy. In rats, TGF-beta blockers stop such changes in the brain, and may halt development of epilepsy in humans.