Increased NKCC1 expression in refractory human epilepsy
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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Study of the Functions and Activities of Neuronal K-Cl Co-Transporter KCC2 Using Western Blotting
Published on: December 9, 2022
Arjune Sen1, Lillian Martinian, Margareta Nikolic
1Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, University College London, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Cation-chloride co-transporters (CCTs), particularly NKCC1, may be important in epileptogenesis. We have performed a detailed histological examination of NKCC1 in large samples of patients with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) or focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), pathologies both commonly associated with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. We consistently found increased immunoreactivity for NKCC1 in HS and FCD, but not in adjacent histologically normal cortex. Our results suggest that NKCC1 might contribute to the pathogenesis or pathophysiology of HS and FCD, thereby potentially offering a new therapeutic target in the treatment of pharmacoresistant epilepsy.
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