Abstracts

Summary: Current anticonvulsant drugs and complementary therapies are not sufficient to control seizures in about a third of epileptic patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for treatments that prevent the development of epilepsy and control it better in patients already inflicted with the disease. A prerequisite to reach this goal is a deeper understanding of the cellular basis of hyperexcitability and synchronization in the affected tissue. Epilepsy is often accompanied by massive reactive gliosis, but the role of glial cells in seizures and epilepsy is still elusive. Several recent studies clearly indicate that glial cells take an active part in the formation, function and plasticity of synapses. Actually, the contribution of glial cells to CNS signalling can be considered one of the most exciting new fields in the neurosciences. This workshop will present new developments and findings on the neuron-glia crosstalk in the epileptic brain. The focus will be on astroglial glutamate- and ATP-related mechanisms as well as the role of proinflammatory cytokines in seizure generation. The workshop brings together scientists with different backgrounds to discuss various aspects of this new, topical field. The contribution of G. Carmignoto will demonstrate the impact of astrocytic glutamate and ATP release on excitability and blood flow control in experimental seizure models. A. Vezzani will report on the role of cytokines in the pathophysiology of epilepsy while C. Steinhäuser will discuss findings of neuron-glia interactions and dysregulated astrocytic function in the context of seizure generation in human hippocampus. We are convinced that an improved understanding of glial biology and of the involvement of glial cells in epileptogenesis offers the potential for developing novel strategies to treat epilepsy.