Valium-like Compound Produced in Brain

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The brain produces a compound which has anti-epileptic effects similar to those in Valium, according to researchers at Stanford University.
The compound, called diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), was discovered using mice engineered to be seizure-prone. Researchers found that both re-introducing the DBI gene and reopening the site at which the compound is formed helped the mice become less seizure-prone. DBI is believed to calm certain neurological circuits in the thalamus, the part of the brain understood to be where seizures originate. The findings could lead to more effective epilepsy treatments with fewer side effects.
For more information, go to: http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2013/may/huguenard.html
SOURCE: Neuron, May 2013