Thanks to an iPS stem cell transplant, monkeys with Parkinson’s have improved. The human trial is scheduled for 2018.
Cell therapy offers great hope in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, although satisfactory results are still to be found. Corn a new study published in Nature gives new reasons to believe in it.
Monkeys with this neurodegenerative disease showed signs of improvement two years after receiving a human stem cell transplant.
Parkinson’s disease is linked to the destruction of neurons located in the substantia nigra. However, these nerve cells are the seat of the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that regulates motor skills. This is the reason why patients present with tremors, slowed movements and muscle stiffness.
Rebuilding these batches of destroyed neurons is the goal of cell therapy. So far, several teams have attempted to transplant fetal stem cells, with little success. The use of this biological material also raises ethical questions.
Reprogram cells
Also, to get around this pitfall, researchers at Kyoto University (Japan) used induced pluripotent cells or iPS. Made in the laboratory from adult cells taken from the blood or the skin, these cells have the same properties as embryonic stem cells. When they are placed in a specific culture medium, they can become heart cells, liver cells or even neurons.
As part of their work, the scientists reprogrammed cells taken from healthy people, but also from Parkinson’s patients. Once differentiated into neuronal cells, these iPSs were transplanted into the brains of diseased monkeys.
The transplant depends on the quality of the donation
At the end of this experimental treatment, the animals showed signs of improvement, even two years after the transplant. Using non-invasive imaging techniques such as MRI, scientists were able to follow the progress of the transplant.
In addition, the researchers found that the success of this treatment depended above all on the quality of the cells taken from the donor, and not on the number of grafted neurons. They discovered that the quality progenitors expressed 11 specific genes. In the clinic, it will therefore be possible to identify the best cells for transplantation.
Towards a clinical trial
“Our study showed that dopaminergic neurons produced from iPS cells are as good as neurons generated using a fetal brain. IPS cells are also very accessible, which allows us to standardize them in order to use only the best cells for treatment, ”summarizes Prof Jun Takahashi, neurosurgeon and lead author of the study.
The team hopes to be able to quickly test this experimental cell therapy in humans. The recruitment of volunteer patients could start before the end of 2018.
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