INDUCIBLE GENETIC SUPPRESSION OF CELLULAR EXCITABILITY

摘要

Graded, reversible suppression of cellular excitability represents a logical goal of therapy for epilepsy and intractable pain, as well as for cardiac arrhythmias. To achieve such suppression, "electrical silencing" genes are transferred into cells with sensitive control of transgene expression. For example, an ecdysone-inducible promoter drives the expression inwardly rectifying potassium channels in polycistronic adenoviral vectors. While normal electrical activity is not affected, after the induction of gene expression excitability is suppressed.