Clinical use of the embryonic brain tissue grafts in epilepsy

Brain and spinal nerve tissue grafts of 5- to 10-week human embryos obtained during legal abortions were transplanted in the last 2.5 years to 15 patients with epilepsy and other paroxysmal disorders. Different forms of epilepsy were found in these patients. The latter were examined to determine their somatic, neurological, and psychological status. This made it possible to divide the patients into groups. Embryonic nerve tissue transplantation (ENTT) was found to be among efficient ways of treatment of patients with different forms of epilepsy. The positive results differed by degree and attested to the marked recovery activity of the impaired central nervous system (CNS). In patients with epilepsy resistant to medical treatment, embryonic nerve tissue implantation was found to cause a stable remission lasting from eight months to 2.5 years in 12 patients and to significantly decrease the frequency of seizures in three patients. Improvement of cognitive functions was observed in all cases. The changes in EEG were always positive, sometimes lagging behind the clinical effect, though more often progressing parallel to it. The possible biological mechanisms causing the above positive effect are discussed.