Inflammation Unleashed in Viral-Induced Epileptogenesis

Abstract

Viral infection of the central nervous system increasingly places people at risk of developing life-threatening and treatment-resistant acute and chronic seizures (epilepsy). The emergence of new human viruses due to ongoing social, political, and ecological changes places people at risk more than ever before. The development of new preventative or curative strategies is critical to address this burden. However, our understanding of the complex relationship between viruses and the brain has been hindered by the lack of animal models that survive the initial infection and are amenable for long-term mechanistic, behavioral, and pharmacological studies in the process of viral-induced epileptogenesis. In this review, we focus on the Theiler’s murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) mouse model of viral infection–induced epilepsy. The TMEV model has a number of important advantages to address the quintessential processes underlying the development of epilepsy following a viral infection, as well as fuel new therapeutic development. In this review, we highlight the contributions of the TMEV model to our current understanding of the relationship between viral infection, inflammation, and seizures.