Breakthrough in stem cell treatment for Parkinson's

Date: Nov-07-2014 In a major breakthrough for the treatment of Parkinson's disease,

researchers working with laboratory rats show it is possible to make

dopamine cells from embryonic stem cells and transplant them into the brain, replacing the cells lost to the disease.

Researchers say it is possible to make dopamine cells from human embryonic stem cells, paving the way for a new treatment for Parkinson's.

Parkinson's disease is caused by the gradual loss of dopamine-producing

cells in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that, among other things,

helps regulate movement and emotional responses.

There is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease, but there are drugs

that can slow it down, and deep brain

stimulation can alleviate symptoms of Parkinson's in certain

patients.

Human embryonic stem cells - precursor cells that have the potential to

become any cell of the body - are a promising source of new dopamine cells,

but they have proved difficult to harness for this purpose.

Now, a breakthrough study from Lund University in Sweden shows it is

possible to get human embryonic stem cells to produce a new generation of

dopamine cells that behave like native dopamine cells when transplanted

into the brains of rats.

Study leader Malin Parmar, associate professor in Lund's Department of

Medicine, and colleagues report their findings in the journal Cell Stem

Cell.

"The study shows that the cells that we generate from

stem cells, they function equally as well as the cells that we find in the

brain," says Prof. Parmar.

The team says the new cells show all the properties and functions of the

dopamine neurons that are lost in Parkinson's disease, and the potentially

unlimited supply sourced from stem cell lines opens the door to clinical

application.

For their study, the researchers carried out experiments in rat models

of Parkinson's disease. To produce a rat model of Parkinson's, researchers

destroy the dopamine cells in one part of the rat's brain.

The experiments showed that dopamine cells made from human embryonic

stem cells, when transplanted into the rats' brains, behaved like native

dopamine cells. The authors note that the transplanted cells:

Survived in the long term and restored production of dopamine in the

brain
Functioned in a similar way to dopamine cells of the "human fetal

midbrain"
Are capable of producing long distance links to the correct parts of

the brain
The axons that they grow "meet the requirements for use in humans."

The researchers explain their findings further in the video below:

Next step is to prepare for human clinical trials

Commenting on the breakthrough, Prof. Parmar says:

"These cells have the same ability as the brain's

normal dopamine cells to not only reach, but also to connect to their target

area over longer distances. This has been our goal for some time, and the

next step is to produce the same cells under the necessary regulations for

human use."

The team hopes the new cells will be ready for testing in human trials

in about 3 years.

The authors note that their study shows "strong preclinical support"

for using dopamine cells made from human embryonic stem cells, using

approaches similar to those established with fetal cells for the treatment

of Parkinson's disease.

There has been some success with using fetal cells, but these are harder

to source and there are ethical concerns about taking tissue from aborted

fetuses.

The study was conducted at Lund University and MIRCen in Paris, France, as

part of the European Union networks NeuroStemCell and NeuroStemcellRepair.

Meanwhile, Medical News Today recently learned that Harvard

scientists found stem cells that release

cancer-killing toxins  may offer a new way to treat brain tumors.

Written by Catharine Paddock PhD

Not to be reproduced without permission.

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Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.