Stem Cells to Cure Parkinson's

Scientists have been working with stem cells since the 1980s, continuously searching to find functional benefits of the relatively new technology. In 2007 and article, “Stem Cells Make Neurons, and Tumors, in Rate Model of Parkinson’s Disease,” was released stating that “human embryonic stem cells led to dramatic functional improvement” although it was also shown to cause brain tumors. Research was done to determine whether stem cells could help cure Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD causes muscles to stiffen and a person’s movement to slow. It is believed that stem cells could help PD because it is a disease that damages few neurons which produce dopamine.

An experiment performed by Steven Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Rochester Medical Center described how the stem cells were induced to become dopamine producing neurons. The cells were placed in rats with a condition similar to PD and the rats recovered their mobile functions. Along with the recovery, however, a tiny amount of the implanted cells had formed tumors. Stem cells had been produced in the past that showed therapeutic effects for PD, but the study was the first to show that cells derived from humans are able to produce positive effects as well as those cells derived from animals.

The study was continued with the use of a toxin that destroyed dopamine producing neurons being implanted into rats before any problems with movement existed. The rats were treated with the stem cells and showed to perform as well as rats that had not received the toxin within a few months. Dr. Goldman believes that all the team needs to do it find a way “‘to purify the neurons and separated them from the undifferentiated cells.’” The results from Dr. Goldman’s experiment are promising despite the fact that some tumors had formed on a few cells. The field of stem cell therapeutics is rapidly growing.

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/news_and_events/news_articles/stem_cells_improve_PD.htm