Japanese scientists use "reprogrammed" stem cells to fight Parkinson's disease

TOKYO: Japanese scientists announced Monday that they would begin clinical trials next month on a Parkinson's disease treatment, transplantation "reprogrammed" stem cells into the brain, looking for a breakthrough in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorder.

Parkinson's is caused by a lack of dopamine made by the brain cells and researchers have been shown to be in the bloodstream.

Clinical trials come after researchers in the United States. Kyoto University in Japan have successfully used human-induced pluripotent stem cells to restore functional brain cells in monkeys.

iPS cells are made by removing mature cells from an individual – often from skin or blood – and reprogramming them to behave like embryonic stem cells. They can then be brought into brain cells producing dopamine. "This will be the first clinical trial in the world using iPS cells on Parkinson's disease," said Jun Takahashi, a professor at the Kyoto University's iPS Cell Research and Application Center.

The center is directed by Shinya Yamanaka, who in 2012 shared a Nobel Prize in Medicine with a British scientist, John Gurdon, for the discovery that adult cells can be turned into embryonic cells

" We intend to continue our research carefully, but expeditiously, in coordination with the Kyoto University Hospital, so that a new treatment using iPS cells is brought to the patients as soon as possible. possible".

The fact that the clinical trial uses iPS cells rather than human embryonic cells means that treatment would be acceptable in countries like Ireland and much of Latin America, where embryonic cells

Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd. stated that it aims to manufacture and start selling cell medicine on the basis of data from clinical trials by the end of the year ending in March 2023.

Society stated, however, the target is solely its own goal and not shared with Kyoto University

(Report by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Nick Macfie)