The epilepsy trial by a company called Neurona Therapeutics is in its early stages and has treated only 15 patients. However, preliminary results are noteworthy.
Last June, another stem cell study yielded dramatic results. The subject of this study is type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which a person’s body attacks beta islet cells in the pancreas. Because beta cells do not work to control blood sugar levels, people with type 1 diabetes rely on daily blood sugar monitoring and insulin injections or IV drips to survive.
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The ongoing study, conducted by Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston, found that some patients who received transfusions of lab-made beta cells were able to stop taking insulin. Instead, new cells are generated when needed.
No more seizures. No more insulin injections. These are the words patients have always wanted to hear. And that means stem cell researchers are getting closer to achieving a functional cure, one in which patients’ bodies can self-regulate and they can continue with their daily lives.