Health · Medical Research · 3 hrs ago
Gene therapy cut seizures by more than 90% in three patients
An experimental gene therapy sharply reduced seizures in three people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The patients were treated in an early-stage clinical study led by Yang Dai at Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University in Beijing.
They had a form of epilepsy affecting the hippocampus and had not responded to at least two seizure medicines.
The treatment delivered a gene to a small area of the brain, making targeted neurons able to respond to clozapine, a drug that lowers their activity.
About two months after treatment, two participants went from an average of 4.5 monthly seizures to 0.5, while the third went from four to none.
The reported reduction exceeded 90%, and no serious side effects were reported.
The trial involved only three people, so its results are preliminary and do not show how well the treatment works more widely.
Three people with drug-resistant epilepsy had more than 90% fewer monthly seizures after receiving an experimental gene therapy with clozapine.
The early-stage clinical trial was conducted by Yang Dai of Xuanwu Hospital at Capital Medical University in Beijing.
The therapy delivered a gene to a small area of brain tissue involved in the participants’ seizures.
About two months later, average monthly seizures fell from 4.5 to 0.5 in two participants and from 4 to zero in the third.
No serious side effects were reported, but the study was small and preliminary.
- Who
- Three people with drug-resistant epilepsy took part in the trial.
- What
- They received gene therapy combined with clozapine, and their monthly seizures fell by more than 90%.
- When
- The trial results were reported on November 6, 2026. Participants began taking clozapine two weeks after gene therapy.
- Where
- The trial was conducted by Yang Dai of Xuanwu Hospital at Capital Medical University in Beijing.
- Why
- The therapy was designed to reduce activity in neurons involved in triggering seizures.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Participants began taking a low dose of clozapine every eight hours.
Average monthly seizures fell from 4.5 to 0.5 in two participants and from 4 to zero in the third.
The trial results were reported.
- Participants
- 3 people with drug-resistant epilepsy
- Seizure reduction
- More than 90% fewer monthly seizures
- Clozapine start
- Two weeks after gene therapy
- Seizures in two participants
- Average fell from 4.5 to 0.5 per month
- Seizures in third participant
- Fell from 4 to zero per month
- Trial location
- Beijing