Drug resistance in epilepsy is an important clinical problem. About 20% of patients diagnosed as having epilepsy fail to respond to prescribed antiepileptic drugs and continue to have seizures. But despite the size of the problem, remarkably little attention has been paid to the biological basis of refractory epilepsy. Recent work has shown that brain tissue from some patients with epilepsy shows increased expression of a protein that mediates drug resistance in cancer, P glycoprotein. But while resistance in cancer has been extensively studied, and trials of reversal of resistance have been undertaken with some success, resistance in epilepsy has only just begun to be addressed. This novel book brings together, for the first time, epilepsy researchers and oncologists, with a view to stimulating further work on drug resistance in epilepsy. Successfully bridging the two fields, the stimulating discussions contained in this book should be of great interest to those working on cancer resistance and refractory epilepsy alike.
About the Author
The Novartis Foundation is an international scientific and educational charity which promotes the study and general knowledge of science and in particular encourages international co-operation in scientific research.
