Epilepsy and the inflammasome: Targeting inflammation as a novel therapeutic strategy for seizure disorders

Epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder worldwide. Recent evidence from experimental models of epilepsy and clinical brain tissue from epilepsy surgery suggests inflammation may play a pathological role in this disorder. Activation of a multimolecular protein complex termed the ‘inflammasome’ occurs during inflammation to drive the innate immune response. Inflammasome activation, with release of inflammatory mediators including interleukin-1β and high-mobility group box-1, may play a crucial role in the development of epilepsy (epileptogenesis) after brain insult. Immunomodulatory drugs targeting the inflammasome pathway may represent a novel antiepileptogenic treatment strategy for epilepsy. This review summarises the current literature surrounding inflammasome activation and epilepsy.