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A Systems Biology Approach for Personalized Medicine in Refractory Epilepsy
Giuseppina Daniela Naimo1, Maria Guarnaccia1, Teresa Sprovieri1
1Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council, Contrada Burga, Piano Lago, 87050 Mangone (CS) and Via Paolo Gaifami 18, 95126 Catania, Italy.
Abstract:
Epilepsy refers to a common chronic neurological disorder that affects all age groups. Unfortunately, antiepileptic drugs are ineffective in about one-third of patients. The complex interindividual variability influences the response to drug treatment rendering the therapeutic failure one of the most relevant problems in clinical practice also for increased hospitalizations and healthcare costs. Recent advances in the genetics and neurobiology of epilepsies are laying the groundwork for a new personalized medicine, focused on the reversal or avoidance of the pathophysiological effects of specific gene mutations. This could lead to a significant improvement in the efficacy and safety of treatments for epilepsy, targeting the biological mechanisms responsible for epilepsy in each individual. In this review article, we focus on the mechanism of the epilepsy pharmacoresistance and highlight the use of a systems biology approach for personalized medicine in refractory epilepsy.
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