Parkinson's is a serious disease whose symptoms include tremors in hands and feet, difficulty walking, and impaired body balance. Currently, there is no permanent cure for this disease, and only the symptoms are managed. However, a new technique adopted by scientists has revived the possibilities of treating this disease, and initial tests have been successful. This technique is called iPS stem cells. The results of these tests have been published in the prestigious medical journal Nature.
In Parkinson's, the dopamine-producing brain cells gradually begin to degenerate. Scientists in Japan have worked to compensate for this deficiency. For the first time, cells derived from laboratory-grown stem cells have been transplanted into a patient's brain. The goal of this method is to regenerate dopamine-producing cells in the brain.
The Japanese pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma reported this progress. According to the company, the first transplant was performed at Kyoto University Hospital in October. According to Japanese media reports, this transplant was done on a woman over fifty years old, who returned to work after being discharged from the hospital. However, it would be premature to conclude how long this treatment will remain effective.
This treatment uses induced pluripotent stem cells, known as iPS cells. These are cells that are prepared by reverting normal or previously developed cells of the body back to their original state. Subsequently, they are converted into specific types of cells in the laboratory. Using this technique, scientists have prepared progenitor cells, which are early forms of dopamine-producing cells from healthy donor iPS cells. These cells are transplanted into a specific area of the patient's brain so that they can function in the future.
The initial clinical trial of this technique was conducted on seven patients at Kyoto University Hospital, aged between 50 and 69 years. Cells were transplanted into both hemispheres of the patients' brains. According to the trial results published in the medical journal Nature, the effect of the treatment could be evaluated in six patients. Four of these patients showed improvement in symptoms, while five patients registered an improvement even in the condition after taking medication. However, some minor side effects also appeared.
This research is still in the clinical trial phase and has not been implemented on a large scale. Therefore, it would be too soon to say whether it will completely cure the disease or halt its progression. Scientists also believe that further investigation is required. Japan has also approved this therapy with conditions and timelines, meaning that the treatment can begin to be used, but further investigation into its safety and efficacy is necessary. The company plans to perform transplants on 20 to 30 patients by March 2029.
