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Researchers have created what they call "epilepsy in a dish," creating neuronal stem cells from a skin biopsy. Using these stem cells, researchers at the University of Michigan may have uncovered what causes seizures in a rare, inherited disorder known as Dravet syndrome. In work published in Annals of Neurology, the researchers identified a new genetic mutation in people with the syndrome, and found that this mutation dramatically decreases the number of sodium channels in a person's brain. This served to make the neurons hyper excitable, which researchers believe contributes to the seizures. Besides providing a new way to study the syndrome in cells from young people who actually have the illness, the technique also provides better ways of testing medications.

Source: http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201307/epilepsy-dish-stem-cell-research-reveals-clues-diseases