Kyoto team succeeds using iPS cells against Parkinson's disease

KYOTO – In a global first, Kyoto University Hospital Doctors injected neural progenitor cells created by iPS cells in the brain of a Parkinson's disease patient to ease the symptoms of nervous system disorder, the university said on Nov. 9.

The iPS cells, or induced pluripotent stem cells, are capable of turning into any type of cell, including neural progenitor cells. In the latest clinical trials initiated by the hospital, the cells injected into the patient's left brain are expected to grow into neurons and release dopamine to send signals to other nerve cells. Parkinson's disease is caused by a shortage of dopamine, causing symptoms such as tremors, slowed movement and dementia.

In the trial that started in August, 2.4 million progenitor cells were injected in the man in his 50s in a three-hour operation. The hospital intends to test the method of a total of seven patients by fiscal 2022.

The doctors hope to confirm the treatment and effectiveness of the disease and make it available to the public under the coverage of the national health insurance program by 2022 or 2023.

Clinical trials are carried out under the strictest conditions of the pharmaceutical industry. Effective data obtained from such trials can be used for early approval for use in treatments.

IPS cell injections are being tested for the treatment of difficult-to-cure eye ailments.

(Japanese original by Ryo Watanabe and Shinpei Torii, Osaka Science & Environment News Department)