Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Safer Epilepsy Drug for Pregnancy: Rapamycin Breakthrough

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valproate is an effective epilepsy drug, but it isn’t recommended to take during pregnancy" data-credit="Miljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock"/>

Sodium valproate is an effective epilepsy drug, but it isn’t recommended to take during pregnancy

Miljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock

The drug rapamycin may offer a solution to the developmental risks posed by the epilepsy medication sodium valproate during pregnancy.

Sodium valproate, commonly used for epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraines, carries the potential for birth defects like spina bifida and cognitive impairments if taken during pregnancy.

Giovanni Pietrogrande from the University of Queensland and his team embarked on a study to unravel the mechanisms behind sodium valproate’s adverse effects. They utilized stem cells to engineer miniature spinal cords, known as organoids, resembling fetal spines in early gestation. When exposed to sodium valproate, these organoids exhibited changes indicative of congenital issues.

Further investigation revealed that activity within the mTOR signaling pathway signaled a cellular process called senescence, where cells cease division but stay active, releasing inflammatory substances.

Interestingly, rapamycin, initially developed as an immune modulator with potential anti-aging properties, targets the mTOR pathway as well.

In a subsequent experiment, the researchers treated a new batch of spinal organoids with both sodium valproate and rapamycin, observing a prevention of senescence. This finding was corroborated in zebrafish larvae, where cells exposed to the combination did not exhibit senescence or the alterations seen with sodium valproate exposure alone.

Pietrogrande suggests that rather than discontinuing sodium valproate in pregnant or potentially pregnant women with epilepsy, a combination with rapamycin could mitigate its harmful effects. Human trials are needed to validate this approach.

Frank Vajda at the University of Melbourne lauds sodium valproate as a crucial treatment for generalized seizures and sees the study as a potential means to restore its importance by mitigating its adverse effects.

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Vocabulary List:

  1. Valproate /vælˈproʊ.eɪt/ (noun): A medication used primarily to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
  2. Epilepsy /ˈɛp.ɪ.lɛp.si/ (noun): A neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures.
  3. Senescence /sɪˈnɛs.əns/ (noun): The process of aging at the cellular level where cells cease to divide.
  4. Organoid /ˈɔːr.ɡən.ɔɪd/ (noun): A miniaturized and simplified version of an organ produced in vitro that mimics its structure and function.
  5. Congenital /kənˈdʒɛn.ɪ.təl/ (adjective): Existing at or dating from birth often referring to conditions developed during fetal development.
  6. Mitigate /ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ (verb): To make less severe serious or painful.

How much do you know?


What potential birth defects are associated with taking sodium valproate during pregnancy?
Heart defects
Spina bifida
Cleft palate
All of the above


What cellular process is triggered by activity within the mTOR signaling pathway?
Apoptosis
Senescence
Proliferation
Differentiation


Which drug was suggested to mitigate the harmful effects of sodium valproate during pregnancy?
Rapamycin
Ibuprofen
Paracetamol
Aspirin


What type of organoids were engineered to resemble fetal spines in early gestation for the study?
Liver organoids
Lung organoids
Spinal organoids
Brain organoids


What is the cellular process where cells cease division but stay active, releasing inflammatory substances?
Senescence
Apoptosis
Differentiation
Proliferation


What was the significant finding when spinal organoids were treated with both sodium valproate and rapamycin?
Increased senescence
Prevention of senescence
Cell death
No effect


Sodium valproate is recommended to be taken during pregnancy.


Rapamycin targets the mTOR pathway.


Human trials have already been conducted to validate the combination of sodium valproate and rapamycin.


Ratan Naval Tata was involved in the study at the University of Queensland.


Rapamycin was initially developed as an anti-inflammatory drug.


Frank Vajda sees the study as a potential means to restore the significance of sodium valproate by mitigating its adverse effects.


Sodium valproate is commonly used for epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and migraines, but it is not recommended to take during .


Activity within the mTOR signaling pathway signals a cellular process called .


The researchers treated a new batch of with both sodium valproate and rapamycin.


According to Pietrogrande, a combination with could mitigate the harmful effects of sodium valproate during pregnancy.


Frank Vajda lauds sodium valproate as a crucial treatment for seizures.


Rather than discontinuing sodium valproate in pregnant women, a combination with rapamycin could mitigate its harmful effects. Human trials are needed to validate this .

This question is required


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