Researchers from Kyoto University (Japan) aim to inject into the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease millions of iPS pluripotent stem cells (for induced pluripotent stem cells) capable of transforming into any type of cell. Once injected, they will develop into neurons dopamine producersa neurotransmitter necessary for good movement control, and which is lacking in people with Parkinson’s.
The clinical trial will involve 7 participants aged 50 to 69 and will begin on Wednesday August 1. The researchers will monitor the patients’ condition for two years. This trial follows an initial experiment conducted on primates, which enabled monkeys suffering from a form of Parkinson’s to regain the ability to move.
The cell reprogramming using stem cells is also the treatment path that is currently being pursued by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
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