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Wednesday January 21 2:07 PM EST Pig Cell Implant Used To Treat Epilepsy NEW YORK (Reuters) -- In an experimental first, physicians have implanted fetal pig cells into the brain of an epilepsy patient in an effort to control intractable seizures, announced officials at Boston, Massachusetts-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center this week. The fetal pig brain cells produce gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter. The researchers believe that higher levels of GABA in the brain will inhibit the firing of nerve cells that can trigger seizures. The clinical trial of the experimental treatment is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the patient will be closely monitored for possible pig-derived infections or immune reactions to the foreign tissue. "This is a very closely watched study by the FDA and we have approval to do between four and eight (patients) and we anticipate probably six (will undergo the procedure)," said Dr. Donald Schomer, director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program at Beth Israel. The main concern is that the pig cells may possibly carry a retrovirus, Schomer said. However, the same type of cells have been transplanted into more than 20 patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease or Huntington's chorea without evidence of infection. In the treatment of epilepsy, Schomer and colleagues are using implanted electrodes, known as depth-electrode investigation, to find the area of the brain in which seizures originate. Once the area is located, fetal pig cells are injected through the electrode. The trial is a collaborative effort with Diacrin, Inc., of Charlestown, Massachusetts. The new technique will only be used on patients who do not respond to conventional epilepsy medication, and who are candidates for surgical removal of a portion of the brain to control seizures. Several months after the transplant procedure, that area of the brain will be removed surgically, and studied to determine if the pig cells have survived and if they have caused inflammation. "We are going to look at cell survival, host reaction, clinical side effects, as well as identifiable reactions in the pathological specimen, and also a little bit on the efficacy to see if this is working as we anticipated," Schomer said. Copyright © 1997 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.