Inflammation and Neurogenesis in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

L.      Bernardino; R.      Ferreira; A.   J.   Cristovao; F.      Sales; J.   O.   Malva

Abstract

The aim of the present review is to discuss the evidence supporting the hypothesis that inflammation and neurogenesis play an important role in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and to examine whether possible strategies that involve the pharmacological manipulation of inflammation/neurogenesis can lead to the development of novel approaches for the treatment of epilepsy. Since it is not yet clear whether the neuron-glia response obtained in this pathology is a secondary effect of an aggressive inflammation or if it is somehow related to the cause of the epileptic condition, with the present review we guide the readers through the complex and ambiguous crosstalk between neuroimmunology and epilepsy.

Keywords: epilepsy, seizures, inflammation, cytokines, chemokines, neuroprotection, neurodegeneration, neurogenesis