C. elegans as a potential model for acute seizure-like activity

Jones, A., Marson, A. G., Cunliffe, V. T., Sills, G. J. and Morgan, A. (2021) C. elegans as a potential model for acute seizure-like activity. In: Vohora, D. (ed.) Experimental and Translational Methods to Screen Drugs Effective Against Seizures and Epilepsy. Series: Neuromethods, 167. Springer, pp. 233-248. ISBN 9781071612538 (doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1254-5_13)

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Abstract

Conventional rodent models have provided invaluable tools for the discovery and characterization of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Nevertheless, around one third of people with epilepsy do not respond to currently available treatments, and so new AEDs are surely needed. However, traditional rodent models are expensive, pose ethical problems, and are poorly suited to high-throughput drug discovery. As a result, methods for front-line screening of compound libraries in simpler seizure models such as fruit flies and zebrafish have been successfully developed in recent years. Here we describe an assay of seizure-like activity using the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans. Our main aim here is to explain how to perform the method, highlighting advantages and limitations of both assay and the animal model. In addition, we give examples of how the assay can be used to determine pathogenicity in epilepsy-associated genetic variants, to screen for anticonvulsants, and to identify AED mechanisms of action.

Item Type:Book Sections
Additional Information:AJ was supported by a PhD studentship funded by the MRC.
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Sills, Dr Graeme
Authors: Jones, A., Marson, A. G., Cunliffe, V. T., Sills, G. J., and Morgan, A.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Life Sciences
Publisher:Springer
ISSN:0893-2336
ISBN:9781071612538

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