[Current status and challenges of disease-modifying therapy for epilepsy: from concept to practice]

Epilepsy, as a common neurological disorder, primarily relies on anti-seizure medications (ASM) for treatment, yet most existing drugs fail to prevent core pathological process. Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for epilepsy, which aim to halt or delay the onset and progression of the disease, have emerged as a critical research direction to overcome the limitations of current therapeutic strategies. Investigating new therapeutic targets and developing effective drugs to prevent or reverse the onset and progression of epilepsy are important goals of clinical and preclinical researches. Based on the current studies, future directions should delve into the multimodal molecular network mechanisms, establish standardized animal models, and address the translational bottlenecks, providing more effective and tailored treatment plans for epilepsy patients from the perspective of disease modification.