Mossy cells' role in temporal lobe epilepsy
Mossy Cells in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
This project looks at how a specific brain cell called a mossy cell affects seizure damage and ongoing seizures in people with temporal lobe epilepsy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orangeburg, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11248427 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work focuses on mossy cells, a type of nerve cell in the hippocampus that can both excite and inhibit the brain circuits involved in seizures. Researchers will examine how mossy cell connections change right after an initial brain injury that can lead to temporal lobe epilepsy and later during chronic epilepsy, mainly using laboratory experiments that track cell activity and seizure-related damage. The team proposes that blocking mossy cells during the initial insult could reduce excitotoxic damage, while activating them in chronic epilepsy could help suppress seizures. If confirmed, the findings could point to time-sensitive ways to prevent epilepsy after an injury or to reduce chronic seizures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with temporal lobe epilepsy, especially those who had a recent brain insult that triggered seizures or who have chronic, medication-resistant TLE, would be most relevant to this line of work.
Not a fit: People with other epilepsy types (for example generalized epilepsy) or those whose seizures are already well controlled with medication are less likely to see direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new timing-based treatment strategies—blocking mossy cells early after an injury and boosting them later to lower seizure risk or frequency.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and animal studies have examined mossy cell functions with mixed results, and this proposal tests a relatively new timing-based hypothesis that has not yet been proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
Orangeburg, United States
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res — Orangeburg, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scharfman, Helen E — Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
- Study coordinator: Scharfman, Helen E
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 below.