I’ve met people who are excited about using stem cells for Parkinson’s Disease. Some of these folks have Parkinson’s or are loved ones. Talking to them makes things real. It feel personal and not just scientific. The current treatment options are far away from what is needed for many people.
I am optimistic that a cell therapy for Parkinson’s will be approved in the next decade. It may not end up being perfect, but it could cure some and leave many other people with greatly improved symptoms. Even if it is only the latter, that’s a big success.
The gut & Parkinson’s Disease
Despite marketing by unproven clinics, there is no current stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s that has a good chance of being effective and safe. It’s frustrating to see that.
Part of the challenge even on the legitimate side is in knowing the causes of Parkinson’s more clearly. Does it start in the brain? One interesting theory is that it starts in the gut. Then moves to the brain somehow. See this explainer on where we are today: Parkinson’s disease stem cell therapy research update.
Recent research lends more support to the idea that the gut is a starting point. See this news article: Parkinson’s may begin in the gut, study says, adding to growing evidence, WaPo.
There have been other suggestions that the gut could be key like the odd observation that having your appendix out may be somewhat protective. Could the immune system of the gut play a role? Why is this potentially important? A better understanding of the etiology could help with therapy development. Then also imagine not just having a real cell therapy treatment for Parkinson’s, but also maybe preventative measures.
For-profit cord blood banking
There is growing concern about some for-profit cord blood banks including their marketing of freezing of other cell types like MSCs. Public cord banks seem like the overall better way to go. I do think that some private banks are far more responsible than others.
Hematopoietic stem cells, cat stem cells, and more
- Long-term engrafting multilineage hematopoietic cells differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells, Nat. Biotech. This is cool, important work. Do you think it’s a breakthrough? The media are portraying it that way.
- The heart is a resident tissue for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in zebrafish, Nat. Comm.
- A BYU football player tried everything to save his career, including a risky procedure in Tijuana, Salt Lake City Tribute. Probably thousands of college or pro athletes have turned to risky stem cells. Perhaps tens of thousands of everyday people have followed suit.
- Footprint-free feline iPSCs offer hope for chronic feline diseases, R&D World. You’ve got to love a story about cats and stem cells.
We can do better than a Washington Post credit!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38245249/