Stem cell therapy for epilepsy
Stem cells are a special type of cell in our bodies. They provide new cells for the body as it grows.
Stem cells are commonly used for research and as treatment for certain health conditions.
- They provide new cells for the body as it grows.
- They also replace specialised body cells if they become damaged or are lost.
See the image below for different types of body cells that stem cells can change into:
Medical research
Stem cell research is complex but great progress has been made in recent years. Scientists are learning how to take any cell from a person’s body (e.g. a skin cell), and turn it into another type of cell (e.g. a brain cell).
This can help researchers understand more about:
- The person’s specific condition, such as epilepsy
- Which drugs may be helpful to treat conditions such as epilepsy.
Safety
In Australia, all stem cell treatments need to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The TGA is a regulatory organisation and is concerned that unproven stem cell treatments are being offered in Australia and overseas.
There are many risks of unproven stem cell treatments:
- They can cause long-term health problems, severe cases can prove fatal.
- Travelling for treatment may mean missing out on current support and specialist medical care.
- Using unregulated stem cell treatments may result in patients being excluded from future approved and registered clinical trials.
- Travelling to a centre offering unproven stem cell treatments can be expensive.
At this time, stem cells are being used to study but not treat genetic epilepsy in Australia.