Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinsons

02/08/2012

Stems cells show tremendous promise when it comes to fighting the battle of Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s disease is associated with degeneration or death of dopamine producing nerve cells in the basal ganglia. As these cells die, movement problems become worse. See Parkinson’s overview to learn more…

Stem cells in theory could develop into mature dopamine nerve cells and replace the dying cells. A review of stem cell research from www.clinicaltrials.gov and www.pdtrials.org websites where you can find information on clinical research trials showed multiple international research trials evaluating stem cells in nerve disease and parkinsonism.

These studies are investigating how to make stem cells in the laboratory and include stem cell sources taken during brain surgery. One important part of research is the search for non-embryonic sources of cells. Researchers have turned to bone marrow, fibroblasts, and testes, as a source of cells to produce stem cells.

Some positive results from animal studies

Parkinsonian monkeys injected with human neural stem cells showed improved movement and no toxic effects. A small number of stem cells turned into dopamine producing nerve cells. Researchers were from UCO, Yale and Harvard 2007
Mice treated with stem cells form their clones of their own skin showed improved movement. Research was performed at Sloan-Kettering

Research in people with Parkinson’s

International research studies that include PWP are using stem cell sources from bone marrow, fat cells, fibroblasts (type of skin cell) are underway.

Researchers from Los Angeles are planning a phase 2 trial investigating safety and effect of neural derived cells taken from the patient, turned into mature cells and surgically introduced into the brain. Both measures of movement symptoms and PET imaging of dopamine nerve cells will be used to test the effect. This study is currently on hold. Results from an initial phase 1 study of neural stem cells showed significant improvement in movement symptoms.

Some positive results from animal studies

Parkinsonian monkeys injected with human neural stem cells showed improved movement and no toxic effects. A small number of stem cells turned into dopamine producing nerve cells. Researchers were from UCO, Yale and Harvard 2007
Mice treated with stem cells form their clones of their own skin showed improved movement. Research was performed at Sloan-Kettering

Questions remain

Researchers from South Korea and UC San Diego showed that abnormal protein accumulations seen in Parkinson’s nerve cells can be passed from one cell to the other. An autopsy done on a person that had fetal cell transplant many years ago showed these proteins moved from the person’s cells to the transplanted fetal cells. How this would affect stem cells is not known. It does give significant clues as to how cells are changed in Parkinson’s.

A word of caution

These are early phase 1 and 2 trials and to show safety and effect and not yet ready for widespread study. Learn more about clinical trials.
Many claims exist from stem cell clinic claiming to cure Parkinson’s or reverse symptoms. These claims have not been proven, safety has been shown, and they are extremely expensive. Remember anecdotal reports and stories of improvement do not mean the treatment work, remember the placebo effect? Learn more about placebo.

See related articles

What are stem cells? Gene Therapy

Author: Monique Giroux, MD

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