At the Bedside: Stem cell therapy through UTHealth Houston clinical trial gives longtime epilepsy patient relief from debilitating seizures

At the Bedside: Stem cell therapy through UTHealth Houston clinical trial gives longtime epilepsy patient relief from debilitating seizures

Written by: Jeannette Sanchez | Updated: November 25, 2024

In August, Luke became the first patient to enroll in the clinical trial. Since the minimally invasive surgery to place the stem cells, he has experienced just one seizure. (Photo courtesy of Luke) "I wanted the best of the best," Luke said. "I had been praying there was another option other than surgery." (Photo courtesy of Luke) "Praise be to God and to my amazing wife, who helped me find Dr. Tandon. Right now I feel great, and I have only had one grand mal seizure since the surgery, so things are progressing already," Luke said. (Photo courtesy of Luke)

After graduating EMT school in 2014, Luke was fully prepared to take the call to help people and families in need. But one thing he didn't prepare for was to be the one on the other end of the line asking for help.

Since being diagnosed with epilepsy at 8 years old, Luke was used to having seizures, but his condition began to worsen, and he started experiencing grand mal seizures when he was 18 years old. They were so bad that, at one point, he was getting them every two weeks.

"I basically lost my career," he said. "I had to get an ambulance ride from class and had to stop going to the fire academy. I started having grand mal seizures more frequently and more often, then I would go stretches with no seizures, and then they would just come back."

Luke began to seek help, but each time he was met with the same option - brain surgery - something Luke knew he didn't want. Luke and his wife decided to get a second opinion and found Nitin Tandon, MD, professor of neurosurgery with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and vice president of strategy and development at UTHealth Houston Neurosciences.

"I wanted the best of the best," Luke said. "I had been praying there was another option other than surgery. We were not fans of removing part of my brain or laser ablation. A friend was able to help us research and gave us a list of the top 10 physicians I could see, and I really liked Dr. Tandon. His background was so specific to what I had. I was drawn to him, it just felt right. I had been praying and I asked God to tell me that if this was our doctor, let there be another option."

After meeting with Tandon, Luke was given a different choice - stem cell therapy.

Tandon had just been approved to enroll patients into a national Phase I/II clinical trial study that is testing whether a neural cell therapy product can help inhibit the abnormal electrical activity that leads to an epileptic seizure.

"When the stem cells were presented to us, it was mind blowing. It felt like I got my answer," Luke said. "I have been in hospitals my entire life; I have sort of built up what they call 'white coat syndrome,' but with Dr. Tandon, it was gone. He was incredible; he and his entire staff made me feel great."

In August, Luke became the first patient to enroll in the clinical trial. Since the minimally invasive surgery to place the stem cells, he has experienced just one seizure.

"Praise be to God and to my amazing wife, who helped me find Dr. Tandon. Right now I feel great, and I have only had one grand mal seizure since the surgery, so things are progressing already," Luke said.

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