Parkinson’s disease affects over 1 million people in the US, with 90,000 new diagnoses each year. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have made progress in developing a therapy using stem cells to treat advanced Parkinson’s.
In a phase 1 trial, MSK used donated stem cells to create nerve cells and transplanted them into the brains of 12 patients with Parkinson’s. The cells produced dopamine, a hormone that helps with movement and coordination. After 18 months, the injected cells had taken hold in the brain with no serious side effects.
The participants experienced noticeable improvements, especially those who received a higher dose. Patients reported an average of 2.7 hours of additional “on time” each day, indicating periods of normal functioning with minimal symptoms. The researchers are optimistic about this potential treatment, which could slow or stop disease progression and improve motor function.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for the researchers to proceed with a phase 3 clinical trial in a larger patient group of around 100 people. The findings were published in the journal Nature. Experts hail the study as “unbelievably exciting” and say it’s a major step forward in replacing the dopaminergic neurons lost in the disease.
While there are potential limitations to the study, such as its small size, the early findings suggest great promise for stem cell therapy. The researchers believe that by developing specific nerve cells from human embryonic stem cells, they can repair the brain and potentially treat other conditions.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/stem-cell-therapy-parkinsons-shows-strong-promise-relieving-symptoms