Therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids in animal models of epilepsy: molecular assessment using a multi-OMICs approach

• Grant number: 24/10492-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 29, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - Biochemical and Molecular Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: José Luiz da Costa
• Grantee: Alexandre Barcia de Godoi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Epilepsies are chronic neurological syndromes characterized by persistent and prolonged hyperactivity of groups of neurons. Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (MTLE) is the most common type of focal epilepsy in adults, characterized by epileptic foci in the mesial structures of the temporal lobe. Approximately 40% of these patients do not respond to available anticonvulsant drug therapies. In this context, phytocannabinoid substances have been used as promising therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of some medication-resistant epileptic syndromes. Although some studies have demonstrated the relevance of certain substances such as cannabidiol (CBD), the pharmacological potential of others like cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN) has been poorly explored. The use of OMICs approaches for the therapeutic evaluation of potential drugs allows for the molecular-level understanding of the effects associated with the administration of biologically active molecules in various types of diseases. Therefore, this project aims to evaluate the therapeutic potential of phytocannabinoids that are still underexplored in the context of a highly prevalent and pharmacoresistant disease in the world population. Multi-OMICs evaluations, regarding transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic techniques, will be conducted in the hippocampal sub-regions of mice induced into acute and chronic epilepsy models.