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TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese scientists said on Monday they will start a new treatment for Parkinson's disease, transplanting "reprogrammed" stem cells into brains, seeking a breakthrough in treating the neurodegenerative disorder.
Jun Takahashi (L), Professor at Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, attends a news conference in Kyoto, Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo on July 30, 2018. Mandatory credit Kyodo / via REUTERS [19659003] Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine made by brain cells and researchers have long hoped for normal stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical.
The Clinical Trials of Japan at Kyoto University Successfully Used Mulipotent Stem Cell Stimulation (iPS) to Monkeys Last Year.
So-called iPS cells are made by removing mature cells from an individual – often from the skin or blood – and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be coaxed into dopamine-producing brain cells.
"This is the world's first clinical trial using iPS cells on Parkinson's disease," Jun Takahashi, professor at Kyoto University's Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, told a news conference.
The center is headed by Shinya Yamanaka, who in 2012 was awarded a Nobel Prize for medicine by a British scientist, John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed into embryo-like cells.
"We intend to carry on conducting our research carefully, yet expeditiously, in coordination with Kyoto University Hospital, so that it will be possible for patients as soon as possible," Yamanaka said in a statement.
The fact that the clinical trial uses iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells would be acceptable in countries such as Ireland and Latin America, where embryonic cells are banned.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co Ltd March 2023.
The company said, however, the target group is the only one of its kind in the world. not a shared goal with Kyoto University.
Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Nick Macfie
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