[Research] A brain injection filled with lab-grown neurons reduces seizures 90% (n=2)

[Bernard]

This article reads like a marketing flyer or press release, but it seems to be a novel treatment so maybe worth following to see if they get a more significant sample size studied:

Researchers have achieved over 90 percent reduction in seizures experienced by two epilepsy patients using a brain injection.

Each patient received a dose of NRTX-1001, an experimental cell therapy treatment developed by researchers at San Francisco-based biotech company Neurona Therapeutics.

Before the therapy, the patients had 32 and 14 seizures on average per month, respectively. No anti-epileptic medicines worked for them; highly invasive surgical treatment was their last hope.

“Both patients entered the clinical trial with significant seizure activity, impaired cognition, and suboptimal quality of life. They were candidates for lobectomy or ablation surgery to remove the epileptic seizure-generating temporal lobe, albeit with an associated risk of causing further, irreversible cognitive deficits. ...
...
An imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons can result in seizures, memory loss, and other brain disorders, including epilepsy. To restore this balance, the researchers developed NRTX-1001.

This brain injection contains a high-concentration dose of lab-grown inhibitory neurons developed from human embryonic stem cells. It brings down the overall action potential and eventually prevents seizures.
...

A brain injection filled with lab-grown neurons promises to cure epilepsy - Interesting Engineering

Phase-1 trials of a brain injection achieve over 90 percent reduction in seizures in two patients.

interestingengineering.com

 

[valeriedl]

I wonder if this would be able to be used for people with epilepsy who cannot have brain surgery too?

 

[Porkette]

Hi Bernard

Thanks for sharing the article. I wonder if this would work for people who have already had surgery
to reduce the seizures. I will have to check this out with my neurosurgeon.
Wishing you only the best and May God Bless You,

Sue

 

[naomi]

Haven’t heard about this?
Does anyone know if epidiolex is available in Canada yet?

 

[naomi]

Hi, I am off topic but I was wondering if epidiolex is available in Canada yet?

 

[MichB]

Haven’t heard about this?
Does anyone know if epidiolex is available in Canada yet?

This study is only in phase 2 which won't be finished until May 2026. There are 4 phases of testing before approval is made for the general public. They are looking for volunteers for the study if you want to be a test subject. I'm not sure as a Canadian if you could sign up but I know you can in Mexico for new Cancer medication studies as a Canadian. You'd have to touch base with them to find out. This is the website: https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05135091

 

[MichB]

I just spoke to my husband and he said there is already a clinic in Mexico that has this treatment perfected and is offering it. He couldn't remember exactly the place in Mexico but he thinks it Taiwan.