A stem cell-based therapy developed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has shown promising results in treating advanced Parkinson’s disease, according to a phase 1 clinical trial published in Nature. The treatment involves creating nerve cells derived from embryonic stem cells and transplanting them into the brains of patients with Parkinson’s.
The injected cells produce dopamine, which coordinates movement, and have been found to stabilize or improve symptoms in some patients. The researchers used a new approach to prevent side effects, including graft-induced dyskinesia, which was common in previous trials using fetal tissue as a source of dopamine neurons.
In the trial, nine patients were transplanted with the therapy at MSK, and three were transplanted by collaborators in Toronto. The treatment was found to be safe, with no serious side effects from the transplanted cells or immunosuppression. The higher dose of the treatment appeared more effective at improving symptoms.
The researchers used a ratings scale called MDS-UPDRS to measure improvement, and found that the patients’ scores improved by an average of 20 points in the high-dose group. This could be meaningful for their everyday life, as it would increase their time being “ON” (functioning well with minimal symptoms) from 2.7 hours per day.
While there are still unknowns about the treatment, the researchers are pleased with the results and believe that this is a promising approach to treating Parkinson’s disease. The study was over 20 years in the making, and it’s exciting to see the basic science in the lab come all the way through to a clinical trial.
Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250416/Stem-cell-therapy-shows-promise-for-treating-advanced-Parkinsons-disease.aspx