Safety and seizure control in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy treated with regional superselective intra-arterial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells.
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a highly prevalent syndrome among people with epilepsy, and is usually refractory to drug treatment. Structural and physiological changes, such as hippocampal sclerosis, are often present in TLE patients. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and safety of intra-arterial infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMC) in adults with medically refractory mesial TLE (MTLE) and unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (HS). We enrolled 20 patients who had been diagnosed with MTLE-HS and were refractory to medical treatment. All patients underwent a neurological evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging with hippocampal volumetry, video-electroencephalography (EEG) with ictal recording, and a neuropsychological test battery focusing on verbal and nonverbal memory domains. After bone marrow aspiration and subsequent cell preparation, the BMMC were infused by selective posterior cerebral artery catheterization. Patients were followed for 6 months. Safety of the procedure, seizure frequency, neuropsychological evaluation, EEG variables, routine brain magnetic resonance imaging and hippocampal volumetry were considered measurements of outcome. Any serious intercurrent clinical event or adverse effects related to the procedure were reported. No additional lesions and no significant hippocampal volumetric changes were observed. EEG recordings showed a decrease in theta activity and spike density. At 6 months, eight patients (40%) were seizure free. A significant increase in the memory scores over time was observed. The BMMC autologous transplant for the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy is feasible and safe. The seizure control achieved in this novel study supports the therapeutic potential of stem cell transplants in MTLE-HS patients. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Jaderson C
JC
DaCosta
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Mirna W
MW
Portuguez
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Daniel R
DR
Marinowic
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Lucas P
LP
Schilling
São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Carolina M
CM
Torres
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Danielle I
DI
DaCosta
Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Maria Júlia M
MJM
Carrion
Eduardo F
EF
Raupp
Biomedical Research Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Denise C
DC
Machado
Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Ricardo B
RB
Soder
School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Silvia L
SL
Lardi
Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|São Lucas Hospital, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.|Teaching and Research Oncology Center, Hospital Sírio Libanes, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Bernardo
B
Garicochea
D000328:Adult; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007269:Injections, Intra-Arterial; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000637:transplantation*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D012640:Seizures / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult
bone marrow; hippocampal sclerosis; memory deficit; mononuclear cells; refractory epilepsy; stem cells; superselective intra-arterial injection