The use of stem cells to treat Parkinson's Disease has shown promise in clinical trials around the world, with results that far exceed the effects of other therapies.
Whereas many treatments for Parkinson's Disease focus on relieving the symptoms of the condition, therapy using multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MMSCs) not only improves symptoms but can also halt the progression of the disease in the early stages.
In this article, we will look at the current position of stem cell therapy for Parkinson's worldwide, and how MMSCs overcome some of the historic challenges of stem cell therapy.
Understanding Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease is a progressive nervous system impairment and is the second most common such condition after Alzheimer's.
Symptoms include a loss of motor control and impaired memory recall. Examples include:
- Balance problems
- Loss of automatic movement (e.g. blinking)
- Muscle tremors
- Posture problems
- Slow movement
- Speech impairment
- Stiff muscles
- Writing impairment
The condition can lead to anxiety and depression, as well as anhedonia (a lack of interest in everyday activities that were previously enjoyable).
Parkinson's Disease treatments aim to improve quality of life by limiting the severity of these symptoms, but the effects can be short-term and do not combat the disease itself.
An Overview of Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is an effective way to replace damaged cells with specialized functions in different parts of the patient's body.
Only stem cells have the ability to create new specialized cells (e.g. brain, bone, blood or heart muscle cells), according to Mayo Clinic.
Because of this, using stem cells to treat Parkinson's holds unique promise for combating the disease itself, and not just improving quality of life by reducing the severity of symptoms.
Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson's Disease
Conventional Parkinson's Disease therapies work by stimulating dopamine at a constant level, but stem cell Parkinson's Disease treatments are used as part of cell replacement therapy.
The MMSCs used by organizations like Swiss Medica can be combined with other progenitor cells and immune cells to create stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for an even stronger regenerative effect.
Research into the use of stem cells for Parkinson's Disease has been ongoing for 30-40 years, building on about 200 years of investigation into the root causes and symptoms of the condition prior to that.
Global Progress of Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson's
The use of stem cells to treat Parkinson's Disease has been proven to significantly improve motor function and memory recall.
In a 2024 article in Neural Regeneration Research, the authors reviewed 33 studies and confirmed that:
- MSCs significantly improve motor function
- Bone marrow MSCs have the greatest effect
- Intravenous MSCs significantly improve memory
"Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to positively impact motor function and memory function and protect dopaminergic neurons in preclinical models of Parkinson's Disease," they wrote.
Continuing research is revealing new ways to further improve stem cell therapies for Parkinson's Disease, for example:
- Optimal types of stem cells used
- Ways to modify stem cell protocols
- The ideal number of stem cells transplanted
- Methods to deliver stem cell protocols
As trials continue and more positive outcomes are recorded, the effectiveness of stem cell treatments for Parkinson's Disease will only increase further worldwide in the years ahead.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
The stem cells used to treat Parkinson's Disease are now routinely harvested from the patient's own bone marrow, adipose fat cells, or other parts of the body. If the patient is unable to provide their own stem cells (for example, because their physical condition does not allow it), an adult donor may be used.
Both options mean embryonic stem cells are no longer used, removing one of the early ethical concerns surrounding stem cell research and treatment. As a result, modern stem cell treatments for Parkinson's Disease carry no major ethical issues.
Using the patient's own stem cells has other advantages, especially with regard to immune system challenges, as the body is unlikely to reject stem cells transplanted from elsewhere within the same body.
Even when using donor stem cells, SVF injections can include immune cells to help make sure the patient's body accepts the injection so that the positive effects of the contained MMSCs can occur without difficulty or delay.
In Conclusion
Using stem cells to treat Parkinson's Disease is a proven effective method to improve mobility and cognitive symptoms, reduce (or even halt) the progression of early-stage symptoms, and generally improve the quality of life for patients.
Concerted research efforts around the world are yielding an ever-increasing quantity of data both to support stem cell treatments for Parkinson's and to offer ways to optimize stem cell protocols for Parkinson's Disease even further.
To discuss any of the issues raised in this article, contact the author.
