First Parkinson’s patient to undergo transplant therapy

Takayuki Kikuchi, neurosurgeon at Kyoto University Hospital, has performed a procedure to implant 2.4 million precursor cells into 12 different areas in the brain of a 50-year-old Parkinson’s patient. This transplant therapy, which uses reprogrammed stem cells to replace neurons destroyed by the disease, has never been done before. Scientists used cellular reprogramming to turn induced pluripotent stem cells into the precursor cells of dopamine neurons, the cells whose loss is associated with Parkinson’s disease. The destruction of these dopamine neurons is thought to lead to the classic tremors and walking problems that Parkinson’s disease causes.
No major adverse reactions have been observed so far, and the patient will be observed closely for another six months, but is doing well presently. If all is well, another 2.4 million precursor cells will be implanted in a second procedure. The technique will also be used to treat six further patients with Parkinson’s disease in order to confirm safety and efficacy by the end of 2020. If the results are positive, it could open up the possibility of the therapy to be available for patients by 2023 given Japan’s fast-track approval system for regenerative medicine.