MicroRNA-335-5p suppresses voltage-gated sodium channel expression and may be a target for seizure control

Abstract Despite the clinical availability of over 30 antiseizure medications, around 30% of people with epilepsy do not achieve seizure freedom. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs which negatively regulate protein levels by binding to target mRNAs. Here, we identified the brain-enriched miR-335-5p to be commonly altered in three heterogeneous microRNA profiling datasets. Bidirectional modulation of miR-335-5p identified a potential homeostatic role of miR-335-5p in neuronal excitability involving voltage-gated sodium channels. Electrophysiological and in vivo approaches revealed pro-epileptic effects of miR-335-5p