Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s disease

Researchers at Kyoto University recently conducted a Phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and potential side effects of stem cell therapy using dopaminergic progenitors derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

About Parkinson’s Disease

• Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.
• Dopamine, a crucial neurotransmitter, plays a key role in regulating motor functions.
• While current treatments mainly consist of dopaminergic medications, these drugs do not address the loss of neurons and may cause long-term side effects.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)

• iPSCs are pluripotent stem cells generated from adult somatic cells such as skin or blood.
• These cells are reprogrammed back to an embryonic-like state, enabling them to differentiate into virtually any type of human cell.
• Applications of iPSCs include:
  • Diabetes: Conversion into insulin-producing beta cells.
  • Leukemia: Generation of new blood cells.
  • Neurological Diseases: Potential treatment for conditions like Parkinson’s disease.
• iPSCs are useful in drug testing, disease modeling, and transplantation medicine.

Stem Cells

• Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of developing into specialized cell types such as blood, muscle, or liver cells.
• Their ability to self-renew and differentiate makes them essential for regeneration and repair.
• Sources of stem cells include:
  • Bone marrow
  • Gastrointestinal tract (divides regularly)
  • Organs like the pancreas or heart (divides only under certain conditions)

Comparison of Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells

Feature	Embryonic Stem Cells	Adult Stem Cells
Potency	Pluripotent (can become any body cell)	Multipotent (can only become limited types of cells)
Source	Derived from embryos (blastocyst stage)	Found in mature tissues (e.g., bone marrow)
Growth in Lab	Can be easily cultured	Difficult to isolate and expand
Ethical Concerns	High	Low