New genetic research could provide life-changing treatments for the approximately 50 million people with epilepsy worldwide.
A study in the journal Nature has identified two genes and 25 mutations associated with the most serious forms of epilepsy.
By identifying these genes, doctors can develop targeted treatments.
Dr. David Goldstein, director of the Duke Center for Human Genome Variation, and Tracy Dixon-Salazar, a neurobiologist who is associate research director for Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, join Here & Now to discuss the new research.
Dixon-Salazar started studying neurobiology when her daughter Savannah was diagnosed with a childhood epilepsy.
This segment aired on August 12, 2013.
Utafiti mpya wa maumbile yaweza kutoa matibabu ya kubadilisha maisha kwa watu milioni 50 hivi wenye kifafa ulimwenguni. Utafiti uliochapishwa katika jarida la Nature uligundua jeni mbili na mabadiliko 25 yanayohusiana na aina mbaya zaidi za kifafa. Kwa kutambua chembe hizo za urithi, madaktari wanaweza kutengeneza matibabu yanayofaa. David Goldstein, Mkurugenzi wa Kituo cha Duke cha Tofauti za Genome ya Binadamu, na Tracy Dixon-Salazar, Mtaalamu wa Neurobiolojia na Mkurugenzi Mshirika wa Utafiti wa Wananchi wa Umoja wa Utafiti wa Epilepsy, wanajiunga na Hapa na Sasa kujadili utafiti mpya. Dixon-Salazar alianza kusoma neurobiology wakati binti yake Savannah aligunduliwa na kifafa cha utotoni. Sehemu hii ilionyeshwa mnamo Agosti 12, 2013.