Right Turn: How stem cells may help people with epilepsy

Is it normal to have a pet disease? Ever since I did a project on epilepsy in grade 4, I’ve had an interest in this disorder that affects one percent of the Canadian population, and worldwide there are anywhere from 50-65 million people living with epilepsy, depending on the source. (Every year, 15,500 Canadians learn they have epilepsy.) I can’t remember why I chose this topic for my assignment, but I remember that it made me sad that all ages – even babies! – suffer from seizures that can result in death. In half of the cases, the cause is unknown.

Today is Purple Day and around the world people are recognizing epilepsy. Interestingly, Canada is the only country to officially recognize March 26th as Purple Day through the Purple Day Act implemented on June 28, 2012. Purple Day was founded in 2008 by Cassidy Megan of Nova Scotia. She was nine years old, living with epilepsy, and looking for a way to raise awareness and reduce stigma for one of the most common neurological disorders in the world.

Epilepsy research

While stem cell-based therapies show some promise in treating epilepsy, patients currently rely on other types of treatment – most notably anti-epileptic drugs.

Some novel research is happening in Canada to assist the one-third of patients who are not helped by anti-epileptic medication.

Dr. Peter Carlen, a neurologist and senior scientist with the Krembil Research Institute at UHN, wants to find a solution for patients with medication-resistant epilepsy. He is seeking a fast, safe and reliable way to screen potential treatments, while also trying to figure out why these patients do not respond to medication. He is using induced pluripotent stem cells from these patients to create “cerebral organoids” (mini brain structures grown in a dish) that can react to different treatments and provide crucial information for researchers. You can hear Dr. Carlen speak briefly about his research.

For a good explanation of epilepsy and helpful tips, probably quite a bit better than the presentation I gave in grade 4, watch the video below.

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Stacey Johnson

Stacey Johnson is the editor of Signals and a contributor. For 25 years, Stacey has been providing strategic communications counsel to government, corporate, technology and health organizations. She began her career at the CTV Television Network and then moved to Hill & Knowlton Canada where she advised clients in a variety of industries and sectors. Stacey is the Vice President, Communications and Marketing for CCRM, a leader in developing and commercializing regenerative medicine-based technologies and cell and gene therapies. She has a Master's degree in Public Relations. You can follow her on Twitter @msstaceyerin.

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