DSF Research Review
Welcome to DSF’s Research Review! We use this space to keep you up to date on the most exciting studies that are published each month on Dravet syndrome and SCN1A. Each review includes a link to the original abstract or article (where possible), as well as a lay-person’s summary. Have questions? Email our team.
Looking for more information on research? Click on the button below to go to a list of pubmed published scientific articles on Dravet syndrome.
August 2019
Donepezil increases resistance to induced seizures in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome
As seen in many of these research summaries, models that reliably mimic human Dravet syndrome, such as engineered mice and zebrafish, allow labs to try out various potential drugs in a quick and [...]
Zebrafish studies identify serotonin receptors mediating antiepileptic activity in Dravet syndrome
In 2013, the Baraban Lab published their work on creating and characterizing an scn1lab mutant model of zebrafish that results in many symptoms of the human disease Dravet syndrome. In that initial report, they [...]
July 2019
Engineering brain activity patterns by neuromodulator polytherapy for treatment of disorders
This article is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it describes the use of zebrafish as a model for Dravet syndrome. Zebrafish have become very useful in medical research. They are small, [...]
NaV1.1 and NaV1.6 selective compounds reduce the behavior phenotype in a novel zebrafish model for Dravet Syndrome
Dravet syndrome is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SCN1A gene, which codes for the alpha subunit of the NaV1.1 sodium channel. However, there are other sodium channels, and it is known that [...]
The Efficacy of Ketogenic Diet in 60 Chinese Patients With Dravet Syndrome
This was a retrospective study, gathering information on Dravet patients who, over the last nine years, had followed a strict ketogenic diet for at least 12 weeks. In total, there were 60 children [...]
June 2019
Is Targeting of Compensatory Ion Channel Gene Expression a Viable Therapeutic Strategy for Dravet Syndrome?
In response to a disease-causing genetic mutation, the expression of any of the other normal genes might be up-regulated or down-regulated. This can be surveyed and measured. But is each response good or [...]
An Old Drug for a New Indication: Repurposing Fenfluramine From an Anorexigen to an Antiepileptic Drug
New treatments can arrive along a variety of pathways, and this review article describes an example of using a known drug in a new way - in this case, the trail by which [...]
Potentiating α2 subunit containing perisomatic GABAA receptors protects against seizures in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome
Many of the drugs used to treat Dravet Syndrome work by interacting with GABAA receptors. Each GABAA receptor is composed of subunits, and there are different versions of receptors depending on which subunits [...]