A ground-breaking stem cell trial that hopes to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease has just entered its next stage. The trial’s final patient has received their stem cell transplant and researchers are preparing for the next stage, which gives patients higher doses of stem cells.
The status of the trial is being reported by International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO). None of the twelve subjects in the trial have had any adverse reactions to the treatment so far.
This stem cell trial involves the transplantation of neural stem cells, called ISC-hpNSC, into the brains of patients. Researchers hope that the stem cells will begin to regenerate lost nerve cells and reduce the patient’s Parkinson’s disease symptoms.
The twelve patients are divided into three groups. Each group receives a series of stem cell transplants, using between 30 million and 70 million neural stem cells.
This stem cell trial commenced in March of 2016 and will follow the patients for many months to assess any changes to their condition. While researchers will be tracking the efficacy of the treatment, their main focus will be on its safety.
Researchers will use brain scans to track how many stem cells survive the transplantation process. They will then assess patients for a number of months, monitoring their Parkinson’s symptoms.
Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions on the planet. Nerve cells in the brain become damaged, which causes dopamine levels to drop — leading to the familiar Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Some treatments can reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but there is no definite cure yet. The researchers hope that this latest stem cell trial will lead to a cure in the next few years.
Source: First Dose Group in Parkinson’s Stem Cell Trial Successfully Transplanted
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