How Do Stem Cells Help Cure Parkinson's Disease?
Other People Are Reading
-
Parkinson's Disease
-
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a disorder caused when nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra become impaired or die. When these cells no longer function properly, they cannot produce the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is the chemical that allows the body's muscle and movement to operate smoothly. The National Parkinson's Foundation reports that when 80% of these cells are damaged, the physical symptoms of the disease (e.g., tremors, slowness of movement, stiffness) appear.
Treatment
-
At this time, there are no treatments to stop or slow the progression of PD, but various treatment methods, such as medicines and sometimes surgery, help alleviate its symptoms. Medications work to replicate or replace the missing dopamine. According to the National Parkinson's Foundation, due to the high risk associated with brain surgery, surgical procedure is only explored if medication fails.
-
Stem Cells
-
Stem cells are parent cells found in all tissues and organs of the body, such as the blood, bone marrow, skin, muscles, brain and liver. There are different types of stem cells, but researchers have worked primarily with two kinds from animals and humans: adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells, as noted in The Promise of Stem Cells.
Stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division throughout early life, growth and sometimes after long periods of inactivity. According to Stem Cell Basics, under certain experimental conditions, they can be stimulated to become different cells with specialized functions. When a stem cell divides, those new cells can remain stem cells or become another type of specialized cell. These distinctions allow stem cells to divide fundamentally without limit to replenish other cells in a living human body.
Implications for Parkinson's Disease
-
According to Stem Cell Basics, researchers believe that if stem cells could be developed into these nerve cells that produce dopamine, they could replace the damaged or dead cells. The treatment method being explored, called neurotransplantation, would transplant these newly cultivated cells directly into the sites of the brain that require dopamine.
Neurotransplantation Procedure
-
Embryonic stem cells, which are usually 4 or 5 days old, are derived from a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst (see Stem Cell Basics). These cells have the potential to become any type of tissue. Scientists have concocted various treatments to coax them to become authentic DA stem cells or tissue rich in dopaminergic [DA] neurons. Then, the DA stem cells are used for cell replacement therapy by putting them into the areas of the brain where these dopamine-producing nerve cells are needed. The cells are introduced into the brain through the striatum. A major challenge researchers face is getting the transplanted DA embryonic stem cells to maintain their new form in large numbers and over an extended period of time without forming tumors. According to The Promise of Stem Cells, there have been a limited number of successes so far.
-
