WEDNESDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) — It’s long been known that a
high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can reduce epileptic seizures that resist
drug therapy, and now researchers studying mice say they think they know
why.
The results of their research in mice suggest that resistance to
seizures among people who eat what’s called a ketogenic diet is linked to
a protein that modifies cellular metabolism in the brain.
The findings, reported in the May 24 issue of the journal
Neuron, may lead to the development of new treatments for epilepsy,
according to the researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard
Medical School in Boston.
“The connection between metabolism and epilepsy has been such a
puzzle,” study co-leader Gary Yellen, a professor of neurobiology at
Harvard Medical School, said in a Harvard news release. “I’ve met a lot of
kids whose lives are completely changed by this diet. It’s amazingly
effective, and it works for many kids for whom drugs don’t work.”
In tests with mice, the researchers found that modifying the
BCL-2-associated agonist of cell death protein led to altered brain
metabolism and protected against seizures.
“Diet sounds like this wholesome way to treat seizures, but it’s very
hard. I mean, diets in general are hard, and this diet is really
hard,” Yellen said. “So finding a pharmacological substitute for this
would make lots of people really happy.”
While the findings hold promise, experts note that research involving
animals frequently fails to lead to benefits for humans.
More information
The Epilepsy Foundation has more about the ketogenic diet.
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