Next steps for landmark stem cell study approved
An international clinical trial looking at using stem cells to treat Parkinson’s has been granted approval to go ahead initially in Sweden.
Stem cells have the ability to develop into different types of specialised cells, such as skin, muscle or brain cells.
In this study, known as STEM-PD, the research team hopes to investigate whether stem cells can be used to replace the dopamine-producing cells which are lost during the development of Parkinson’s. They’ll do this by turning stem cells into dopamine producing brain cells and implanting them via an injection directly into the brain tissue of people with Parkinson’s.
It is the first study of its kind in Europe. Read more about the STEM-PD study on the Lund University website.
How did we get here?
There have been huge developments over the past 40 years in stem cell research, but there are still a number of questions left to answer.
While many treatments currently aim to boost the levels of dopamine, we don’t have anything that can replace the cells which are lost. This study hopes to assess the safety of a potential way to do this.
The STEM-PD trial has taken a decade to get to this point. This work first involved turning stem cells into dopamine producing brain cells that were safe for injection. Researchers then tested implanting these cells to see if it improved symptoms in animal models of the condition.
What happens next?
The clinical trial has received approval from the Swedish Medical Agency, and will first be carried out at Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden. There are plans to extend this to Cambridge University Hospital here in the UK, but UK based approval is still pending.
The researchers aim to work with 8 people with Parkinson’s across Sweden and the UK, who will receive the injection and be closely monitored over a period of 1 year. If successful, it may be carried forward to larger trials.
The study is not looking for people to take part in the trial. The research teams plan to invite eligible participants to take part when they are ready to begin.
Dr Becky Jones, Research Communications Officer at Parkinson’s UK, said:
"This is an exciting development for stem cell research and is a great milestone based on years of work.
"As with all clinical trials, monitoring how safe and effective the treatment is will be key to understanding its potential going forward. We’ll also be interested to see how the injected cells survive when surrounded by the other cells in the brain tissue. We’ll be watching closely for updates as the trial progresses."
Find out more about the stem cell research which has led to developments such as this on our research blog.
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