Stem cells represent a promising source of neurons for the potential treatment of a host of neurological conditions, including epilepsy. In this issue of Cell Stem Cell, Cunningham et al. (2014) use cortical GABAergic interneuron progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells to treat chronic temporal lobe epilepsy in a mouse model. Epilepsy is a severe neurological disorder defined by recurrent seizures, which are abnormal, hypersynchronous electrical discharges that emanate from dysfunctional brain circuits. Epilepsy affects 1 in 26 Americans at some point in their lifetimes and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality as well as a host of associated conditions such as cognitive impairment and memory dysfunction. Antiseizure medications-the mainstay of treatment for epilepsy-are ineffective in 30%-40% of patients, highlighting the need for development of treatment approaches that more specifically target dysfunctional epileptic circuitry.
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