Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Introduction to Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide especially the elderly who are above 65 years. With that being said, age is not the indicator as the disease can also affect young people. Some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include motor problems and non-motor problems. The motor problems include muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed movement. Non-motor symptoms include autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment and mood disorder. There is no specific therapy that has been identified to treat this condition fully. The medications that have been used only manage the symptoms but do not stop the spread and growth of Parkinson’s disease. The good news is, there is a new treatment method that has been discovered to help improve the life quality of patients living with Parkinson’s disease. We have developed a stem cell therapy for people suffering from this debilitating condition. The therapy is done using adult stem cells from umbilical cord Wharton jelly.
Why and How Stem Cell Therapy Works for Parkinson’s Patients
We use stem cells extracted from umbilical cord Wharton Jelly. The stem cells are potent because they can change into any type of cells needed for the healing process. Also, the stem cells promote the regrowth and regeneration of cells. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a low amount of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a transmitter that facilitates the communication between the muscles and the brain of your body. When the dopamine is low in the brain, the movement ability is affected.
To treat Parkinson’s diseases using stem cell therapy, we use stem cells extracted from umbilical cord Wharton Jelly. Stem cells are introduced to the patient’s body. The cells then adjust and become whatever the brain or the body needs for the healing process. The cells target the neurons and help stimulate the production of new dopamine with the brain to maintain back the balance. The stem cell that is responsible for treating Parkinson’s disease is known as the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) which are extracted from adult cells. We prefer iPSCs because it is possible to generate autologous graft by using the patient fibroblasts to produce neural grafting products used for the procedure. After the appointment, we extract the stem cell and reprogram it to a pluripotent state using different transcriptional factors. It is then injected directly into the brain where Parkinson’s disease has affected.
The stem cells also help discharge important chemicals called cytokines that grow in the healthy brain naturally. Additionally, the stem cells promote the mitochondrial function in PD allowing them to get nutrients and break them down to produce energy-rich molecules.
Research on Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is classified under neurodegenerative diseases because it degenerates the brain tissues. Stem cell therapy addresses the physical causes and neurodegenerative symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. There is no specific cause of Parkinson’s Disease that has been confirmed by clinical research. Although several factors have been associated with Parkinson’s disease. They include the presence of Lewy bodies, genetics, and environmental factors.
Lewy bodies are protein deposits and they have been identified to be playing an important role in affecting the normal brain function. Based on research, it is clear that stem cell therapy is effective and plays an important role in repairing and healing the damaged tissues caused by the disease. Also, it helps in controlling the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease normally start showing when the dopamine-producing cells within the brain are damaged causing them to be produced in a small amount. People suffering from Parkinson’s disease experience difficulty in doing their normal routines, motion controls, and movement coordination because the dopamine is responsible for transmitting signals for normal motor control. As the disease, progresses, muscle rigidity, instability, tremor and slowed movement continue to manifest. Stem cell therapy controls and manages these symptoms. Stem cell therapy is very safe, and it eliminates the risk of tissue rejection and minimizes the need for immune-suppressants because the cells are derived from the patients.
The Future of Stem Cell Therapy in Treating Parkinson’s Disease
It is predicted that the research on treatments with stem cells will help scientists to understand Parkinson’s pathology, screen new drugs and develop new treatment methods. The scientists are experiencing a lot of challenges and a lot of work is still needed to identify and generate the robust cells in quantity and quality that can survive and function properly in the brain. The scientists are still investigating the best cells that will be more effective in ensuring that the treatment is safe before it spreads.
Learn More About Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease at StemFinityCord
When it comes to choosing stem cell centres, you have many options, but why choose StemFinityCord? At StemFinityCord we provide our patients with proper knowledge about the procedure through education to help them make a good decision that will ensure that they recover fully from there conditions. We provide more than just understanding of your situation, we also give the best care to every individual. We understand our patients fully starting from their history to current condition. We do a thorough diagnosis of our patients and spend time giving them options that they can choose from. So, if you are looking for a good stem cell centre for treatment visit us and we will guide you. We have a team ready to help you, so you don’t need to worry.
References
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Barker RA, consortium, T. (2019). Designing stem-cell-based dopamine cell replacement trials for Parkinson’s disease. Retrieve April 10, 2020.
Barker RA, Studer L, Cattaneo E, Takahashi J, consortium, G.F.P. (2015). G-force PD: a global initiative in coordinating stem cell-based dopamine treatments for Parkinson’s disease. Retrieve April 10, 2020. -
Doi D, Samata B, Katsukawa M, Kikuchi T, Morizane A, Ono Y, Sekiguchi K, Nakagawa M, Parmar M, Takahashi J. (2014) Isolation of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic progenitors by cell sorting for successful transplantation. Retrieve April 10, 2020.
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Fan, Y., Winanto & Ng, S. (2020). Replacing what’s lost: a new era of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Stem Cell for Parkinson’s. Retrieved April 10, 2020