Developing Better Medicines for Epilepsy and Nerve Pain
Official title: New Inactivators of GABA Aminotransferase for Epilepsy and Neuropathic Pain
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11115834 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to create new medications that can help manage seizures in epilepsy and reduce nerve pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 15, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $476,062 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS123057-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11115834 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who experience recurring seizures due to epilepsy or suffer from chronic nerve pain, including pain caused by chemotherapy, could potentially benefit from future treatments developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose conditions are not related to GABA levels or who respond well to existing treatments without significant side effects may not see additional benefit from these specific new medications.
What this research studies
Our brains use a chemical called GABA to calm down overactive nerve signals, which is important for preventing seizures and managing pain. When GABA levels are too low, conditions like epilepsy and neuropathic pain can occur. This project is focused on finding new ways to increase GABA by blocking an enzyme that breaks it down. While there's an existing medication that does this, it has serious side effects, so we are working to discover safer and more effective options. We hope these new compounds will offer a better way to control seizures and relieve chronic nerve pain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new, safer medications for people living with epilepsy and neuropathic pain, offering better control of symptoms with fewer side effects.
How similar studies have gone: An existing medication uses a similar approach to treat epilepsy, demonstrating the potential effectiveness of this strategy, but this research seeks to develop novel compounds with fewer side effects.
Where this research is happening
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Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silverman, Richard B — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Silverman, Richard B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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New treatments to increase GABA levels for epilepsy and neuropathic pain
This study is working on new medicines that could help people with epilepsy and nerve pain by boosting a brain chemical called GABA, which helps keep brain activity in check, and it aims to create treatments that are safe and effective for those conditions.
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Scaling Up Task-Shifted Epilepsy Care for Children in Africa
A study to help children with epilepsy in Africa get diagnosed and receive seizure care through trained community health workers.
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Closed-loop control of interneuron timing to influence seizures and memory in epilepsy
A study tests a brain-quieting system that uses light to precisely time certain brain cells in epilepsy-prone mice to see if this can lessen seizures and improve memory.
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Epilepsy Data Ecosystem: A Big-Data Sharing Platform for Better Care
A national effort to collect and share large, multi‑modal brain data from people with medication‑resistant epilepsy to speed discoveries and improve treatment options.
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Exploring epilepsy genes in zebrafish to understand human brain seizures
A study in zebrafish will model human epilepsy genes to help explain how certain brain mutations contribute to seizures.
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New MRI tools to better plan pediatric epilepsy surgery
A new MRI-based approach helps doctors decide the best time to surgically remove brain tissue in children with difficult-to-control seizures.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.