The Promise of Cell Therapy Approaches in Epilepsy

This interview originally appeared on our sister site, NeurologyLive®.

Episode 130 of the NeurologyLive^® Mind Moments^® podcast is now live! Scroll down to listen or click here to subscribe on your favorite streaming service.

The Mind Moments podcast features exclusive interviews with leaders in neurology discussing the latest research and disease management strategies across the breadth of the field, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease, dementia, sleep disorders, and more.

In this episode, "The Promise Behind Cell Therapy Approaches in Epilepsy" Jonathan Parker, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at Mayo Clinic Arizona, speaks on the emerging interest in cell therapy as a potential means to address epilepsy. The discussion, which took place at the 2024 American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, California, goes into the rationale behind this approach and the advantages it may have over traditional surgical approaches that can result in detrimental cognitive effects. Parker, director of the Device-Based Neuroelectronics Lab, went over the different types of cell therapies currently in development, limitations and challenges associated with these approaches, and the need to design innovative clinical studies to test them appropriately. In addition, Parker touched on the therapeutic pipeline of cell therapies for epilepsy, including his experience leading a study site for a first-in-human trial evaluating NRTX-1001, an investigational product derived from human pluripotent stem cells.

The stories featured in this week's Neurology News Minute, which provide quick updates on the following developments in neurology, are further detailed here:

• Anavex Submits Marketing Authorization Application for Blarcamesine in Alzheimer Disease in the EU
• Testing Begins for RELIEV-CM2 Study of ShiraTronics Neuromodulation Device in Chronic Migraine
• STK-001 Gains FDA Breakthrough Designation as Potential Disease-Modifying Treatment for Dravet Syndrome

EPISODE BREAKDOWN

• 1:00 – Idea behind cell therapy to treat epilepsy
• 4:05 – Current state of stem cell therapies for neurological disorders, focusing on Parkinson disease, stroke, and epilepsy
• 8:05 – NTE001 study for NRTX-1001, an investigational human embryonic stem cell product
• 11:45 – Neurology News Minute
• 13:50 – Unanswered questions and safety concerns with cell therapies; challenges with clinical trial design and the need for more innovative trials
• 17:35 – Misconceptions or gaps in understanding about cell therapies for epilepsy
• 20:05 – Unique challenges and potential of stem cell therapies for epilepsy, particularly in younger patients; patient motivation and hope

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