Dravet syndrome is a serious form of epilepsy that appears in children, both years ago. It is a rare disease, affecting one in 12,000 or 20,000 children in Europe, for which, in the majority of cases, there is no treatment due to its resistance to pharmacies. Although it does not understand well whether the drugs used are actually ineffective, or whether they break down the cells of the nervous system that produce the radical motive in the genetics of each individual.
“These patients can read up to 60 or 70 epileptic seizures each day, which can seriously affect their lives and cause constant supervision,” said Sandra Acosta, a researcher at the University of Pompeo Fabra. “These are ninjas and ninjas, in addition to having a good quality of life, they are all dependent and the affect affects their cognitive development; some will not be able to walk, ha hablar ”, added.
UPF Investigator Sandra Acosta
This will lead to a project to employ minicerebros analyzed using artificial intelligence to test the effectiveness of molecules that can be effective in treating the disease.
“Every patient is different, because he needs a personalized medicine, adapted to its characteristics,” says this biologist, who is also a professor at the University of Barcelona. This approximation is performed from time to time on campus with the oncology.
From his lab, part of the cells of the patient of the skin or the skin, generan cerebral organs, three-dimensional minicerebros that represent very well the cerebral cells and in which they can try molecules. He developed an artificial intelligence algorithm that analyzes combinations of drugs available to see what is most effective for each patient.
“Our objective is to cure illness,” said Acosta, adding that “only we can try molecules in our organs, we also have genetic therapies, cellular therapies, some treatment that we should use to the fullest.”
Impulse research project funded by the ‘Caixa’ Foundation, which supports Big Vang.