Search for anticonvulsant and antiepileptogenic neuropeptides as strategy for the development of innovative future antiepileptic drugs

Abstract: Neuropeptides and their receptors are promising targets for future treatment strategies for epilepsy. Our research already have experience with the pharmacological characterization of the anticonvulsant mechanisms of peptides such as somatostatin, cortistatin statin and neuropeptide Y. This is a strategy that we want to go further, as many pertinent questions in this area remain unanswered. However, in the current project, we want to identify novel anticonvulsant and antiepileptogenic neuropeptides. Preliminary experiments with a number of candidate peptides already look promising. The methods we use to achieve these goals are validated rat and mouse models for seizures and epileptogenesis, knockout mice for a specific neuropeptide or peptide receptor in vivo microdialysis, neuropharmacological studies and quantification of the electrical activity of the brains, ex vivo immuno biotechnological techniques, and in-vitro electrophysiology in brain slices. These methodologies include the expertise of the research laboratories to submit this project application. Moreover, we want to actively contribute to closer to its clinical application of the above treatment strategies. For this purpose, we are, among other things entered collaborations with chemists who develop metabolically stable, blood-brain barrier permeable peptide analogs or selective receptor ligands