Chinese scientists’ stem cell experiment raises hopes for effective Parkinson’s disease treatment
- Monkeys suffering from the degenerative disease found their mobility greatly improved just weeks after receiving the first stem cell transplants
- If the treatment works on humans, researchers say the cells could be mass-produced to provide an affordable treatment for millions of sufferers worldwide
The animals, which could barely move in their cages, were able to stand up, grab food, and feed themselves just two or three weeks after receiving lab-made cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in their brain.
Their movement and mental state kept improving over the next five years, the team from Kunming University of Science and Technology reported in the research journal npj Parkinson’s Disease in December.
If proven effective on humans, the genetically engineered cells could be mass-produced and potentially provide an affordable, off-the-shelf treatment to millions around the world, they wrote.
Today, Parkinson’s is one of the most common degenerative brain diseases affecting at least one per cent of over-60s worldwide.
It often starts with the uncontrollable shaking of one hand, and develops into difficulties with walking and talking, dementia and other severe symptoms.