Regenerative Cells and Epilepsy
What do regenerative cells and epilepsy have to do with each other? In the last decade, there has been a breakthrough in mankind’s ability with regenerative cells. With epilepsy, they have studies of regenerative cells and ways to use regenerative cells to help deal with anti-medicine and anti-surgery treatment epilepsy seizures.
Studies
They have done multiple studies on the potential that stem cells have in helping treat epilepsy. In the studies stem cells as a potential therapy for epilepsy 2013, New prospects of mesenchymal stem cells for ameliorating temporal lobe epilepsy 2018 and the study the anti-inflammatory properties of mesenchymal stem cell in epilepsy: treatment and future perspectives.
The studies found that Bone marrow-derived Mesenchymal stem cells or BMSCs, can promote brain self-repair which gives the potential to help treat multiple brain disorders and diseases, from repairing the brain after a stroke, repairing because of epilepsy, or helping with Alzheimer’s.
They all point out that stem cell treatment can help treat some of the 30% of the 3.4 million American epilepsy patients who have anti-medication and anti-surgical treatment epilepsy.
Regenerative Cells
But the biggest breakthrough nowadays of stem cells is regenerative cells. These three patients have used regenerative cells or NRTX-1001 to help deal with their uncontrollable epilepsy. NRTX-1001 is used to help with gamma-aminobutyric acid, a neurotransmitter that helps block the overactive impulses in the brain that cause epileptic seizures.
The first surgery was done at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and the second was done at Oregon Health Science University in Portland, Oregon. Both of those studies were done in 2022 and the last surgery done so far was done at San Diego Health in the summer of 2023.
From the first two surgeries done in 2022, the patients have had a 90% reduction in seizures within just 1 year and 7 months. They are hoping to work with up to forty patients in this experimental treatment. The people that sponsored this and have brought this potential, an almost cure, for epilepsy is Neurona Therapeutic. (The key thing is there is no scientific cure for epilepsy yet)
Conclusion
Back in 2007, I had surgery to help with my epilepsy and at that time there were only two major treatments besides medicine for epilepsy. Removing damaged brain cells and Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) were the only choices. With this breakthrough and all the other new treatments for epilepsy, soon in the future, children and adults with epilepsy will not be as doomed to deal with epilepsy as past patients have been.
Leave a comment on your thoughts on this breakthrough treatment.
(This is an informational and personal experience article only, talk to your neurology specialist, local doctor, or nurse first for more specific information about you, your condition, and what works best for you.)
John is a person who was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of eight. John has been a certified peer recovery specialist in the state of Iowa since 2019. John also has training in ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. John is an advocate for epilepsy and mental health. John blogs to support fellow people with epilepsy and mental health on their road to recovery.
John loves art, comics (Marvel especially), and the UI Hawkeyes. John lives in a small town with his three furry best friends Louie and Mario. (Dogs) and Leo (Cat)