Two unprecedented stem cell transplants successfully tested for Parkinson's disease

BarcelonaParkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of neurons that produce dopamine. It is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease in Catalonia, affecting approximately 30,000 people, and it requires no care. Now, researchers from Kyoto University and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the United States have demonstrated in two independent studies the safety of stem cell therapies for treating the disease, successfully transplanting stem cells into the brains of participants without dangerous adverse effects. The journal Nature publishes the results, which, although unprecedented, the authors warn that further research is needed to verify the efficacy and benefits of these cell therapies. Studies with few patients in which they have mainly evaluated their safety. Specifically, in one study they have demonstrated the safety of using cells created from adult cells from umbilical cord blood and known as human induced pluripotent stem cells. safe.

Twenty patients

To examine the safety and potential side effects of cell therapy for the disease, Japanese researchers transplanted these cells into seven patients between the ages of 50 and 69. During the one-year study, they observed no serious adverse effects, and the transplanted cells produced dopamine without excessive growth or tumor formation, a risk associated with stem cell therapy. The researchers also observed a decrease in motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's in four of the six participants.

The American researchers performed the transplant on twelve patients with an average age of 67. Specifically, they received an experimental stem cell-based drug, which they tolerated well and also reported no serious adverse events related to the therapy over the following eighteen months. These patients experienced some improvement in motor function. Thus, both studies demonstrate the safety of this transplant and open the door to a potential treatment, although the authors acknowledge that there are limitations such as the low patient participation and emphasize the need for further research.