This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), under the Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders (CFDA 93.853) program, provides $390,000.00 in funding to the University of Texas at Dallas to conduct research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying focal cortical malformations and epilepsy.
The key objectives of this 5-year project are to: 1) determine the specific mRNA subsets that are altered due to dysregulated MNK-eIF4E signaling in focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCDII), 2) delineate the contribution of MNK-eIF4E dysregulation to FCDII lesion development, and 3) test the impact of genetic and pharmacological inhibition of MNKs on FCDII-associated seizures. The research will leverage a combination of cell-type specific translatomic analyses, biochemical and histological techniques, genetic and pharmacological manipulations, and electroencephalography in FCDII mouse models. The findings are expected to advance the understanding of the mechanisms leading to severe pediatric epilepsy and guide new therapeutic strategies for intractable epilepsy associated with FCDII and potentially other seizure disorders.
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