[ad_1]
Monkey tests by Japanese scientists in 2017 used modified stem cells to restore brain cells
Japanese scientists said Monday that they will begin clinical trials of Parkinson's disease treatment next year, transplanting "reprogrammed" stem cells into the brain.
The disease is caused by the lack of dopamine produced by brain cells, and researchers have long been trying to use stem cells to restore normal production of the neurotransmitter chemical.
By 2017, researchers from the Kyoto University in Japan will be able to use induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS) to restore functional brain cells in monkeys, which motivated clinical trials.
iPS cells are produced by removing mature cells from an individual's skin or blood and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be transformed into brain cells producing dopamine.
"This will be the first clinical trial using iPS cells for Parkinson's disease," said Jun Takahashi, a professor at the University's iPS Research and Cellular Application Center.
The center is led by Shinya Yamanaka, who received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine. with British scientist John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be transformed into embryo-like cells.
The fact that clinical tests use iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells means that treatment would be acceptable in countries like Ireland and in much of Latin America, where cells embryos are prohibited.
Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018
Source link
