Valproic Acid News and Research

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Valproic Acid is a drug used to treat epileptic seizures and bipolar disorder and to prevent migraine headaches. It is also being studied in the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma. It is a type of anticonvulsant, antimaniacal, and migraine headache prophylactic.

Researchers create new nerve cells in brains and spinal cords of living mammals

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers created new nerve cells in the brains and spinal cords of living mammals without the need for stem cell transplants to replenish lost cells.

27 Feb 2014

Valproic acid metabolism and obesity: an interview with Dr. Namandjé Bumpus, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Valproic acid is one of the most widely prescribed drugs for the treatment of epilepsy. It has also been shown to be effective for the treatment of mood disorders and migraine headaches.

17 Feb 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers discover epilepsy drug reduces obesity-related blood sugar levels

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that valproic acid, a widely prescribed drug for treating epilepsy, has the additional benefits of reducing fat accumulation in the liver and lowering blood sugar levels in the blood of obese mice.

30 Jan 2014

Doctors should consider underlying inflammatory conditions when selecting anti-epilepsy drugs, say researchers

Physicians at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have been investigating if established anti-epilepsy drugs have anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory properties - an effect for which these pharmaceutical agents are not usually tested.

20 Dec 2013

Researchers find way to replace Paneth cells with two small molecules that maintain stem cells

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have shown that they can grow unlimited quantities of intestinal stem cells, then stimulate them to develop into nearly pure populations of different types of mature intestinal cells. Using these cells, scientists could develop and test new drugs to treat diseases such as ulcerative colitis.

3 Dec 2013

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Brachial plexus root avulsion is the most serious type of peripheral nerve injury. Valproic acid has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects and promote neurite outgrowth in several peripheral nerve injury models. However, whether valproic acid can exert its beneficial effect on neurons after brachial plexus avulsion injury is currently unknown.

3 Dec 2013

Anti-epileptic drugs, bone loss and supplements

Antiepileptic drugs are medications used to prevent and control seizure disorders. These medications are also frequently used for other diagnoses other than seizures, however this current study concentrated on patients with a seizure disorder.

25 Nov 2013

Study could enhance process of reprogramming adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells

Bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that physical cues can replace certain chemicals when nudging mature cells back to a pluripotent stage, capable of becoming any cell type in the body.

23 Oct 2013

FDA: Migraine prevention medicines taken during pregnancy can impact children’s IQ

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care providers and patients that medications including and related to valproate sodium can cause decreased IQ scores in children whose mothers took the medication during pregnancy.

7 May 2013

Valproate, pregnancy and IQ: an interview with Professor Kimford Meador

Valproate (sodium salt of valproic acid) is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy, migraine and bipolar disorder as well as some other off label psychiatric indications.

11 Feb 2013

Taking antiepileptic drug valproate during pregnancy affects the IQ of children

Research published in The Lancet Neurology shows that taking the antiepileptic drug valproate during pregnancy affects the IQ of children up to the age of six.

23 Jan 2013

Novel questionnaire reliably assesses antiepileptic adverse effects in children

The adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs can be reliably measured in children from across the epilepsy spectrum in clinical and research settings with the novel Pediatric Epilepsy Side Effects Questionnaire, say US scientists.

23 Aug 2012

New evidence reveals possibility of mood-enhancing effects associated with some flavors

New evidence reveals the possibility of mood-enhancing effects associated with some flavors, stemming at least in part from natural ingredients bearing a striking chemical similarity to valproic acid, a widely used prescription mood-stabilizing drug, scientists reported here today. This effect joins those previously reported for chocolate, teas and some other known comfort foods.

20 Aug 2012

Vorinostat drives HIV from hiding

The addition of vorinostat to current antiretroviral therapy regimens can potentially help to eradicate hidden pockets of dormant human immunodeficiency virus, according to study results published in Nature.

6 Aug 2012

Scientists reprogram amniotic fluid cells without introduction of extra genes

Stem cells found in amniotic fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells, according to a study published today in the journal Molecular Therapy. Scientists from Imperial College London and the UCL Institute of Child Health succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes.

4 Jul 2012