Understanding Genetic Epilepsies Using Zebrafish
Deep Behavioral Phenotyping of Novel Zebrafish Epilepsy Models
This work uses special zebrafish to help us learn more about severe genetic epilepsies and find new medicines to treat them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327604 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Many people with genetic epilepsies experience severe seizures and other challenges, and current medications often don't work well. To find better treatments, our team is creating and studying zebrafish that have genetic changes similar to those seen in human epilepsies. We use advanced imaging and artificial intelligence to carefully observe the behavior of these zebrafish, which helps us understand the disease better and identify potential new drug candidates. This unique approach could lead to new ways to help patients with these difficult-to-treat conditions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This preclinical work is aimed at eventually benefiting patients diagnosed with genetic epilepsies who currently suffer from severe seizures and neurobehavioral deficits.
Not a fit: Patients will not directly participate in this preclinical animal research, so there is no immediate benefit for individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a deeper understanding of various genetic epilepsies and the discovery of new drug treatments for patients.
How similar studies have performed: This project uses a first-of-its-kind strategy combining high-resolution imaging and machine learning for drug discovery in genetic epilepsies.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Baraban, Scott C — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Baraban, Scott C
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.