A genetic study of childhood epilepsies has linked two new genes to severe forms of disease and provides a novel strategy for identifying therapy targets. This study used exome sequencing to search for new mutations that are not inherited. The results suggest that this may be a highly effective way to find and confirm many disease-causing gene mutations. "It appears that the time for using this approach to understand complex neurological disorders has arrived," said David Goldstein, Ph.D., director of the Human Genome Variation Center at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and a leader of the study. "This moderately-sized study identified an unusually large number of disease-causing mutations and provides a wealth of new information for the epilepsy research community to explore." The study is part of a worldwide, $25 million project, largely funded by the National Institutes of Health, called Epilepsy 4000 (Epi4K). Epi4K's mission is to use the latest genetic techniques to sequence and analyze DNA from 4000 epilepsy patients and their relatives. To do this, the researchers and NIH staff involved organized a team of international research institutions devoted to the mission, called the Epilepsy Centers without Walls. This approach facilitates the sharing and analysis of DNA sequences and patient information among the dozens of institutions participating in the project. The study, published online on August 11, 2013 in Nature by the Epi4K and Epilepsy Phenome/Genome Project (EPGP) Investigators, found as many as 25 epilepsy-causing mutations in new and previously identified genes.Login Or Register To Read Full Story