Dataset Information

CRISPRa-mediated Kcna1 upregulation decreases neuronal excitability and suppresses seizures in a rodent model of temporal lobe epilepsy [I]

ABSTRACT: Epilepsy is a major health burden, calling for new mechanistic and therapeutic insights. CRISPR–mediated gene editing shows promise to cure genetic pathologies, although hitherto it has mostly been applied ex-vivo. Its translational potential for treating non-genetic pathologies is still unexplored. Furthermore, neurological diseases represent an important challenge for the application of CRISPR, because of the need in many cases to manipulate gene function of neurons in situ. A variant of CRISPR, CRISPRa, offers the possibility to modulate the expression of endogenous genes by directly targeting their promoters. We asked if this strategy can be effective to treat acquired focal epilepsy. We applied a doxycycline-inducible CRISPRa technology to increase the expression of the potassium channel gene Kcna1 (encoding Kv1.1) in mouse hippocampal excitatory neurons. CRISPRa-mediated Kv1.1 upregulation led to a substantial decrease in neuronal excitability. Continuous video-EEG telemetry showed that AAV9-mediated delivery of CRISPRa, upon doxycycline administration, decreased spontaneous generalized tonic-clonic seizures in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. The focal treatment minimizes concerns about off-targets effects in other organs and brain areas. This study provides the proof of principle for a translational CRISPR-based approach to treat neurological diseases characterized by abnormal circuit excitability.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE133554 | GEO | 2019/11/15

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) is a frequent cause of drug-resistant focal epilepsy in children and young adults. The international FCD classifications of 2011 and 2022 have identified several clinico-pathological subtypes, either occurring isolated, i.e., FCD ILAE Type 1 or 2, or in association with a principal cortical lesion, i.e., FCD Type 3. Here, we addressed the DNA methylation signature of a previously described new subtype of FCD 3D occurring in the occipital lobe of very young children and microscopically defined by neuronal cell loss in cortical layer 4. We studied the DNA methylation profile using 850K BeadChip arrays in a retrospective cohort of 104 patients with FCD 1A, 2A, 2B, 3D, TLE without FCD, and 16 postmortem specimens without neurological disorders as controls, operated in China or in Germany. DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks with microscopically confirmed lesions, and DNA methylation profiles were bioinformatically analyzed with a recently developed deep learning algorithm. Our results revealed a distinct position of FCD 3D in the DNA methylation map of common FCD subtypes, also different from non-FCD epilepsy surgery controls or non-epileptic postmortem controls. Within the FCD 3D cohort, the DNA methylation signature separated three histopathology subtypes, i.e., fibrotic scarring around porencephalic cysts, loss of layer 4, and Rasmussen encephalitis. Differential methylation in FCD 3D with loss of layer 4 specifically mapped to biological pathways related to neurodegeneration, biogenesis of ECM components, axon guidance, and regulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Our data suggest that DNA methylation signatures in cortical malformations are not only of diagnostic value but also phenotypically relevant, providing the molecular underpinnings of structural and histopathological features associated with epilepsy. Further studies will be necessary to confirm these results and clarify their functional relevance and epileptogenic potential in these difficult-to-treat children.

Dataset Information

CRISPRa-mediated Kcna1 upregulation decreases neuronal excitability and suppresses seizures in a rodent model of temporal lobe epilepsy [I]

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