Proteomic Profiling of Brain Tissue in Refractory Epilepsy: Correlation with Surgical Outcomes and Identification of Biomarkers

• Grant number: 23/14694-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Human and Medical Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Eugenio Araujo de Moraes Mello
• Grantee: Priscila Nicolicht de Amorim
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Epilepsy is a complex and heterogeneous neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures resulting from hyperexcitability and abnormal synchronization of neuronal networks, affecting approximately 70 million people worldwide. Despite therapeutic advances, about one-third of patients present with drug-resistant epilepsy, making surgical intervention a crucial alternative. However, surgical outcomes vary significantly among patients, and no molecular biomarkers currently exist to predict clinical response. This study aims to investigate protein alterations in resected brain tissue from patients with drug-resistant epilepsy undergoing surgery, correlating proteomic profiles with postoperative clinical outcomes stratified according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification. Analyses will be performed using the Olink® Reveal platform, based on Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology with NGS readout, enabling multiplex quantification of 1,034 proteins from small tissue samples. Various clinical variables will be integrated into multivariate analyses to identify molecular patterns associated with epileptogenesis, treatment resistance, and seizure control. The identification of proteomic biomarkers in human brain tissue has translational potential, contributing to prognostic stratification of patients, the development of personalized approaches in epilepsy, and advancing precision medicine in the neurosurgical context.