Abstract
Epilepsy is a common and serious neurologic disease with a strong genetic component. Genetic studies have identified an increasing collection of disease-causing genes. The impact of these genetic discoveries is wide reaching—from precise diagnosis and classification of syndromes to the discovery and validation of new drug targets and the development of disease-targeted therapeutic strategies. About 25% of genes identified in epilepsy encode ion channels. Much of our understanding of disease mechanisms comes from work focused on this class of protein. In this study, we review the genetic, molecular, and physiologic evidence supporting the pathogenic role of a number of different voltage- and ligand-activated ion channels in genetic epilepsy. We also review proposed disease mechanisms for each ion channel and highlight targeted therapeutic strategies.
Footnotes
- Received July 13, 2017.
- Accepted October 2, 2017.
This work was supported by National Institutes of Health National Health and Medical Research Council Program [Grant 10915693 to S.F.B., I.E.S., S.P., and C.A.R.].
- Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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