Metformine, a widely used diabetic drug, might also be an
effective and safe therapy for epilepsy, researchers report.
This new approach may be especially helpful for the subset of
patients who have recurrent seizures despite therapy with the
best available drugs. The basis for metformine’s effect is
similar to a ketogenic diet, which is an attempt to minimize
dietary starch and sugar. Epilepsy patients have been using this
severe dietary approach for centuries, which led Dr. Avtar
Roopra and colleagues to wonder if drugs could tap into
metabolic pathways and produce similar results. The researchers
identified a small molecule in neurons that senses how much
energy is available on hand. Glucose normally turns on this
sensor, but so does Metformine, a drug used to control blood
sugar. By administering the proper dose, they could suppress
over-active nerve cells by removing their ability to turn sugar
into excess energy. Roopra and colleagues now hope to apply
their preliminary results to a mouse model of epile