A medicine called rapamycin might help prevent sodium valproate, a drug for epilepsy, from causing problems during pregnancy.
Sodium valproate is used for epilepsy and bipolar disorder, but it can harm babies if taken during pregnancy, causing birth defects and learning issues.
Scientists made mini spinal cords in the lab to study why sodium valproate is harmful. They found that the drug makes cells age quickly, which can lead to problems in babies.
Rapamycin, another drug, can stop this aging process in cells. When given with sodium valproate in tests with fish and cells, the harmful effects were reduced.
Instead of stopping sodium valproate for pregnant people with epilepsy, combining it with rapamycin could protect the baby. More research is needed before this can be recommended.
This discovery may help restore the importance of sodium valproate as an effective treatment for seizures. Further studies will determine its impact.
Vocabulary List:
Sodium valproate /ˈsoʊ.di.əm ˈvæl.prə.eɪt/ (noun): A medication used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.
Epilepsy /ˈɛp.ɪ.lep.si/ (noun): A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures.
Harmful /ˈhɑːrm.fəl/ (adjective): Causing or capable of causing damage or injury.
Defects /ˈdiː.fɛkts/ (noun): Imperfections or abnormalities that affect quality or function.
Research /ˈriː.sɜːrtʃ/ (noun): Systematic investigation to establish facts or principles.
Discovery /dɪsˈkʌv.ər.i/ (noun): The act of finding or learning something for the first time.
