Neurosteroid Therapy for Epilepsy

Neurosteroids are naturally occurring compounds synthesized within the brain that play a critical role in regulating neural excitability. The Reddy Lab has spent decades conducting pioneering investigations into how these compounds interact with GABA-A receptors, the brain’s primary inhibitory signaling pathway, to control seizure activity. This foundational work gave rise to the concept of neurosteroid replacement therapy (NRT), a strategy of administering natural or synthetic neurosteroids during periods of deficiency to suppress seizures and stabilize brain activity. The lab’s contributions in this area directly informed the development of ganaxolone (Ztalmy), the first neurosteroid approved by the FDA for the treatment of epilepsy, and have established neurosteroids as one of the most promising frontiers in modern anticonvulsant research.

Selected Publications

Neurosteroid mitigation of developmental neurological dysfunction, long-term epileptic biomarkers, chronic neuroinflammation, and neurodegeneration in a pediatric rat model of organophosphate exposure
Sreevidhya Ramakrishnan , Tanveer Singh, Albert Chen, Xin Wu,Doodipala Samba Reddy*. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Vol. 392 pp. 103555 (2025) [PDF] [DOI]

Does Stress Trigger Seizures? Evidence from Experimental Models
D.S. Reddy, Wesley Thompson, Gianmarco Calderara. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences pp. 41-64 Vol. 55, pp. 41–64; Published Online: 6 February 2021 [PDF] [DOI]

Neurosteroids: Biosynthesis, Molecular Mechanisms, and Neurophysiological Functions in the Human Brain
D.S. Reddy, Kushal Bakshi. Hormonal Signaling in Biology and Medicine Chapter 4 pp. 69+; doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-813814-4.00004-3 [PDF] [DOI]

The Perimenstrual Delta Force: A Trojan Horse for Neurosteroid Effects
Carver CM, Wu C, Gangisetty O, D.S. Reddy. Epilepsy Currents Vol. 15, No. 2 (March/April 2015), pp. 80–82 [PDF] [DOI]