University of California San Fransisco doctors appeared to have cured a sea lion's epilepsy through a potentially breakthrough pig brain cell transplant procedure.
The operation was done on a 7-year-old sea lion named Cronutt, who officials at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo took in after he was found stranded on land in 2017. The animal suffered from frequent seizures caused by epilepsy, a disease he contracted due to exposure to a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which is produced by bacteria and algae found along the Northern California coast, the hospital said in a release last year.
Cronutt's condition deteriorated to the point where he was unable to eat due to the frequency of the seizures. Officials thought Cronutt would likely have to be euthanized, but were willing to attempt a last-ditch effort to save him using a method that neuroscientist Scott Baraban had been researching for nearly two decades involving pig embryos.
An 18-person team of UCSF doctors, led by Baraban, conducted the procedure in San Francisco on October 6, 2020. The surgery placed healthy pig neurons on the damaged part of Cronutt's hippocampus. Officials hoped the pig cells suppressed the abnormal brain activity caused by the seizures.
Over one year after the procedure, the results have been overwhelmingly positive. Baraban told Newsweek that Cronutt is "essentially" cured of epilepsy. The sea lion has not suffered any seizures since the operation, and his appetite and weight returned to normal after a few months.
He has not experienced any side effects and his handlers told the outlet his behavior resembles that of a healthy sea lion.
"The cell transplant procedure basically saved Cronutt's life as his condition at the time would have resulted in a euthanasia decision by his vets," Baraban told the outlet. "Cronutt is doing remarkably well now more than one year after the procedure."
Prior to the procedure on Cronutt, the transplant therapy had only been used on mice, which was also successful. The success of Cronutt's surgery could pave the way for new research into treatments and cures for epilepsy, according to Newsweek.
Approximately 1.2% of Americans suffer from epilepsy - about 3.4 million people. National Geographic reported there are 30 anti-seizure medicines on the market, but still one-third of patients don't respond well to them. As a result, medical researchers continue to search for more treatments.
However, while the success of Cronut's procedure is encouraging, National Geographic reported it could be years before the treatment is attempted on people. The therapy needs to be carried out many more times to determine just how safe and effective it can be.
Related
