Brazilian-German collaboration on molecular and histopathological studies on focal cortical dysplasia

Abstract

Epilepsy is a neurological syndrome characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures, which may be caused by different disorders. Our project aims to establish research cooperation and educational activities between Brazilian and German Universities that are reference centers of epilepsy research (University of Campinas - UNICAMP and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg - FAU, respectively). Particularly, we will focus on focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), a malformation of brain development that is an important cause of clinically intractable epilepsy. Our intention is to identify diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers in surgical samples from epilepsy patients with clinical, radiological and electrophysiological findings suggestive of FCD but without histopathological evidence of FCD. In this context of discordance between functional alterations and a discretely changed or normal corresponding resected tissue, we will perform transcriptome analysis to identify differentially expressed mRNAs and posterior immunohistochemical assessment of the distribution of the codified proteins in the same tissue. Furthermore, the binational cooperation will organize a short course in Brazil (International Summer School for Neuropathology and Epilepsy Surgery) on the scientific breakthroughs from UNICAMP and FAU groups, as well as other updated topics on epilepsy research. (AU)