![Mechanisms of Seizures]()
The brain is composed primarily of neurons and glia. Astrocytes are glial cells that interact with themselves and neurons via chemical messengers, or neurotransmitters. The most prominent of these neurotransmitters, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), has been implicated in brain seizures. Eliana Scemes, Ph.D., studies the mechanisms by which ATP is released from brain cells. In earlier work, she hypothesized that Pannexin1—a gated channel on the cell surface—is responsible for ATP’s release. By using mouse models that lack Pannexin1, she found that ATP released through these channels can worsen symptoms of a severe form of epilepsy known as status epilepticus. Now, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded Dr. Scemes a four-year grant of more than $2 million to determine the activation parameters and the extent to which Pannexin1 in astrocytes and neurons contribute to ATP-mediated seizures. She will conduct this research in mice. Dr. Scemes is professor of neuroscience.
Posted on: Tuesday, June 14, 2016