Stem Cell Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease

The treatment is based in the ability to direct the fate of these cells to become dopaminergic neurons. The most promising stem cell types are embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Human ESCs are harvested from the inner cell mass of the early blastocyst, and a number of human ESC cell lines have been generated from excess embryos from in vitro fertilization procedures. On the other hand, iPSCs are generated by the reprogramming of an adult somatic cell (such as a dermal fibroblast) into a stem cell, through the expression of a number of transcription factors that could induce pluripotency (c-myc, klf-4, sox2, and oct4). The main method of administration is via injection of the SC in the brain regions related to dopamine secretion (1, 2).

Short and Mid Term Results

Long – Term Results

In late 2017, researchers in Jun Takahashi, MD, PhD’s lab at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at Kyoto University in Japan announced that a study transplanting nerve cells made from iPS cells into the brains of pre-clinical models was promising. The grafted cells were able to secrete dopamine and stimulate neurons in the brain. The implanted cells survived for two years (2019), appeared to improve symptoms and did not cause ill side effects.

In July 2018, the Kyoto researchers announced plans to start a clinical trial moving the procedure into humans. Researchers inject dopaminergic progenitor cells — cells that develop into neurons that produce dopamine — directly into an area of the brain associated with neural degeneration in Parkinson’s disease. The scientists completed the first transplant in October and plan to complete six additional operations by 2022.

References

1. Stoker TB. Stem Cell Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease. In: Stoker TB, Greenland JC, editors. Parkinson’s Disease: Pathogenesis and Clinical Aspects [Internet]. Brisbane (AU): Codon Publications; 2018 Dec 21. Chapter 9. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536728/ doi:  10.15586/codonpublications.parkinsonsdisease.2018.ch9   
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2. Stem Cells for Parkinson’s: Therapy and Tools for a Neurological Disorder – A Closer Look at Stem Cells [Internet]. Closerlookatstemcells.org. 2019 [cited 30 December 2019]. Available from: 
https://www.closerlookatstemcells.org/2019/04/01/stem-cells-for-parkinsons-therapy-and-tools-for-a-neurological-disorder/ 
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