When the brain sustains an injury of any sort, it becomes inflamed. Inflammation is the body's way of increasing blood flow and immune cells to the affected area, so that the healing process can begin.

Cytokines are a family of special cell signalling proteins that help to control both the inflammation and immune processes. However some researchers suspect that three members of the cytokine family in particular - IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha and IL-6 - might cause epilepsy.

Why do they think this?

• IL-1 beta has been shown to cause seizures in several past experiments.
• In more recent investigations, scientists in Milan, Italy, studied brain seizure models and compared them with 'normal' brains for the presence of IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha and IL-6. They found more of all three cytokines in the seizure models, located precisely where the seizure activity had been induced. They also found more receptors for IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in the seizure models, suggesting that these cytokines were actively sending signals between cells in the build-up to the seizure. Read more about this project here.

So how do the cytokines cause epilepsy?

The excitatory and inhibitory impulses in the brain are largely mediated by two neurotransmitters, glutamate and GABA, respectively. Researchers believe that the cytokines interfere with the normal communication between the cells of the brain, and make neurons become more excitable, and more prone to seizure activity.

Implications for epilepsy treatment

If inflammation in the brain causes epilepsy, can we prevent epilepsy by stopping the inflammation process? Dr Rod Scott and Dr Mark Lythgoe, of the Institute of Child Health, London, received a £79,937 grant from Epilepsy Research UK, in 2007, to answer this question - read more here. Their initial results will be out later this year!

If the curbing of inflammation can indeed prevent epilepsy, an exciting new avenue for drug development will be opened.