A team of Japanese researchers recently announced that they have successfully transplanted stem cells into the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s disease. It is the first stage of a trial testing the ability of induced Pluripotent Stem cells (iPSCs) to treat Parkinson’s. The trial is being performed by researchers from the Kyoto University in Japan.
The first patient to receive the treatment was a male in his fifties. The procedure involved the transplantation of 2.4 million iPSCs into the left side of his brain.
The research team will now monitor the patient for the next two years to determine the result of the transplant. If the patient does not have any significant negative side effects by the six month mark, he will receive another transplantation of 2.4 million stem cells into the right side of their brain.
The iPSCs used in the procedure have come from healthy donors. The cells have been developed into the precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells, which are severely lacking in patients who have Parkinson’s. The trial will involve a total of seven participants aged between 50 and 69. It is the world’s first Parkinson’s treatment using the transplantation of iPSCs directly into the brain.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the world’s most common degenerative neurological diseases, affecting about 10 million people worldwide. It is a disorder of the nervous system that damages the nerve cells in a part of the brain that produces dopamine, which is a chemical necessary for the control of muscles and movement.
People with Parkinson’s disease experience a wide range of symptoms including tremors, stiff muscles, difficulty standing or walking, sleep problems, mood changes, fatigue, cognitive problems, and facial stiffness.
The current treatments for Parkinson’s disease can only slow its progression and will not cure it. The researchers hope that stem cells will be able to help the brain produce more dopamine, improving the condition of the nervous system and reversing the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Previously, the researchers conducted successful trials on primates, with the test subjects experiencing improved movement after receiving iPSCs transfusions. If the current trial is a success, the next step will be larger clinical trials to confirm the results.
Source: Japanese researchers transplant stem cells into brain to treat Parkinson’s
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