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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

A Model of Epileptogenesis in Rhinal Cortex-Hippocampus Organotypic Slice Cultures
Published on: March 18, 2021
Molecular and cellular basis of epileptogenesis in symptomatic epilepsy
Asla Pitkänen1, Katarzyna Lukasiuk
1Department of Neurobiology, AI Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. Asla.Pitkanen@uku.fi
Abstract:
Epileptogenesis refers to a process in which an initial brain-damaging insult triggers a cascade of molecular and cellular changes that eventually lead to the occurrence of spontaneous seizures. Cellular alterations include neurodegeneration, neurogenesis, axonal sprouting, axonal injury, dendritic remodeling, gliosis, invasion of inflammatory cells, angiogenesis, alterations in extracellular matrix, and acquired channelopathies. Large-scale molecular profiling of epileptogenic tissue has provided information about the molecular pathways that can initiate and maintain cellular alterations. Currently we are learning how these pathways contribute to postinjury epileptogenesis and recovery process and whether they could be used as treatment targets.
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