Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease
Stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease is a treatment approach that involves using stem cells, which are undifferentiated cells that can develop into various types of specialized cells, to replace or repair damaged or lost cells in the brain associated with Parkinson’s disease. The stem cells are administered into the body via intravenous injection and will find areas of inflammation and damage via a process called homing.
The primary mechanisms of stem cells are to reduce inflammation (including neuroinflammation) and modulate the immune system.
Stem cell therapy aims to prevent disease progression for an extended period through immune modulation. A secondary benefit of stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease is to help restore the normal function of dopamine-producing brain cells lost in Parkinson’s disease and to improve motor symptoms, tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with movement.
The study conducted by Neelam K.Venkataramana and colleagues found that seven Parkinson’s disease patients aged 22 to 62 years showed significant improvement in their Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) of 38% after treatment with mesenchymal stem cells.
Article 1:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1931524409002205#!
First, MSCs have been shown to secrete neurotrophic growth factors, including glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),which can be further enhanced under specific culture conditions. Neurotrophic growth factors have been shown to improve neuronal survival in a number of preclinical models of neuron injury, including ALS, PD, and MSA transgenic animals and nerve injury models.
Second, MSCs strongly modulate the immune system and can aid wound healing, and this mechanism has been exploited in disorders such as graft versus host disease and Crohn’s disease. From a neurodegenerative perspective, it has become increasingly recognized that neuroinflammation plays a significant pathomechanistic role.”
What are the benefits of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease?
Current research has shown that stem cell therapy could potentially lead to improvements in several symptoms associated with the condition, such as:
Tremors: Stem cells may be able to replace or repair lost or damaged dopamine-producing cells in the brain, which can help to reduce tremors.
Bradykinesia (slowness of movement): Stem cells may improve the function of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain, which can help improve bradykinesia.
Rigidity: Stem cells may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, which can help reduce rigidity.
Dyskinesia (abnormal movements): Stem cells may improve the function of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain, which can help reduce dyskinesia.
Postural instability: Stem cells may be able to improve the function of the dopamine-producing cells in the brain, which can help to reduce postural instability.
Article 2 : https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-023-04484-x
