Current location:Earth Enigma news portal > world
How a stem cell transplant could help to stop epilepsy seizures
Earth Enigma news portal2024-05-08 10:38:23【world】9People have gathered around
IntroductionAone-off 'injection' of stem cells could be an effective treatment for some patients with epilepsy.T
Aone-off 'injection' of stem cells could be an effective treatment for some patients with epilepsy.
The treatment is thought to help by increasing production of a brain chemical called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which calms down the electrical activity in the area of the brain that triggers epileptic seizures.
The first two patients to have the therapy, called NRTX-1001, had a greater than 95 per cent reduction in their seizures a year after having the injection, according to preliminary findings presented at the meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Boston last year.
Now data presented at the American Academy of Neurology last month revealed that the treatment has been successful in two more patients.
More than 630,000 people in the UK have epilepsy and, as a result of sudden bursts of electrical activity in their brain, experience seizures.
A one-off 'injection' of stem cells could be an effective treatment for some patients with epilepsy (Stock image)
Under general anaesthetic, a needle, guided by an MRI scanner, is positioned into the part of the brain causing the seizures and the cells are released into those with epilepsy and could help treat patients
Current treatments include medication to change the levels of chemicals in the brain that control electrical activity.
But for 30 per cent of patients these drugs don't work, according to the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Surgery to remove a section of the brain that triggers the seizures is offered to some, but carries a risk of memory impairment and vision problems.
It's hoped that the new therapy, developed by Neurona Therapeutics, a company based in California, could help those for whom medication doesn't work and who may not want surgery.
The new injections contain cells derived from human stem cells, which can turn into any type of cell.
These are grown in a special medium in a lab to encourage them to turn into interneurons, a type of cell found in the brain that secretes GABA, which calms down the excitable nerve networks and electrical signals that trigger seizures.
Under general anaesthetic, a needle, guided by an MRI scanner, is positioned into the part of the brain causing the seizures and the cells are released.
The patients go home the following day. They are also given immunosuppressant drugs for a year to ensure their immune system doesn't reject the stem cells.
The therapy doesn't work immediately because the transplanted cells need five to seven months to start producing GABA in sufficient quantities.
All the people in the recent trial, which began back in 2022, had a common type of epilepsy — mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.
While four have improved with the treatment, one has not — but none in the study group has experienced severe side-effects.
A larger study of 30 patients is being planned for next year.
Commenting on the research, Matthew Walker, a professor of neurology at University College London, said: 'This new trial shows exciting preliminary results. It could provide an alternative to surgical interventions in this type of epilepsy and for those who do not respond to medication.'
Address of this article:http://saintlucia.allesfuersjagen.com/html-51d599395.html
Address of this article:http://saintlucia.allesfuersjagen.com/html-51d599395.html
Very good!(2)
Related articles
- Judge delays murder trial for Indiana man charged in 2017 slayings of 2 teenage girls
- JAN MOIR: Is Basil goose stepping in front of Germans still funny? Of course it bloody is!
- Rublev overcomes fever and praises doctors after winning Madrid Open for the 1st time
- Trump says Biden is running a 'Gestapo' administration
- Kylie Jenner wears bullet
- Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book
- Frank Stella, renowned American artist, dies at 87
- Why Airbus is staying humble even as Boeing flounders
- Zelensky 'assassination plot foiled' as Ukraine detains two of its own counter
- Frank Stella, renowned American artist, dies at 87
Popular articles
Recommended
Thiago Silva to return to Brazilian club Fluminense after leaving Chelsea at the end of the season
Germany recalls its ambassador in Russia for a week in protest over a hacker attack
Inside Prince Andrew's 30
Donald Trump arrives at the Miami Grand Prix days after having his $250,000
Equestrian Beijing Masters to be held in October
Lando Norris earns 1st career F1 victory by ending Verstappen's dominance at Miami
Horoscope today: Daily guide to what the stars have in store for YOU
A truck driver is accused of killing a Utah police officer by driving into him
Links
- Simon Bridges to chair Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
- I'm an American living in the UK
- REVEALED: The eye
- How to fly long
- The legal battle over the abortion pill has reached the Supreme Court. Here's what to know.
- Advocates attack removal of climate change from government's draft transport policy
- Brits warned of little
- Want late snow? Then aim high! Warm winters are melting slopes
- Former resident aboard world's most exclusive invite
- Government backs trust tax rate exemptions