Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with symptoms affecting movement and coordination that worsen over time. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, nearly one million people in the U.S. live with Parkinson’s disease. While treatments are available to manage symptoms, there is no current cure.
How Does Parkinson’s Develop?
While the cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, genetic, and environmental factors may play a part in its development. The condition causes the death of specific neurons in the brain. This leads to the loss of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that sends signals to other cells.
The lack of dopamine causes patients with Parkinson’s to develop tremors, experience muscle rigidity, and struggle with walking. Additionally, the condition can disrupt sleep and lead to speech problems and depression.
By the time patients are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, most of them have already lost 60% to 80% of their dopamine-producing neurons.
How Can Regenerative Medicine Therapy Help?
Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, utilizes stem cells that are unique. Unlike any other cells in the body, they can divide to create specialized cells, like blood or brain cells, depending on their location and the cells needed. Since the discovery of stem cells and their capabilities, researchers have looked for ways to use these exceptional cells to help repair and replace damaged tissue.
Since Parkinson’s disease causes specific brain cells to die, stem cells serve as a promising therapy option for delaying or stopping the condition’s progression. Researchers hope that by administering stem cells, the stem cells will differentiate into the needed brain cells to help regulate dopamine levels.
What Are the Results of Early Studies?
Early studies examining stem cells’ effectiveness in treating Parkinson’s disease have been promising. A recent study showed that the treatment reversed symptoms of Parkinson’s in rats. The treatment reduced coordination problems with sustained results.
New studies aiming to replicate these results in human patients are underway. These studies also examine the most effective methods to administer stem cell therapy intravenously or through new medical devices.
As scientists learn more about effectively managing the condition through stem cell therapy, the treatment may become more widely available.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for hair, also Stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.