Current and Future Treatment Approaches for Parkinson's Disease

Current and Future Treatment Approaches for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease, often referred to as "tremor" in Thailand, is a condition that arises from the degeneration of brain cells responsible for dopamine production. This degeneration leads to reduced dopamine levels, which in turn affect the brain's ability to control movement effectively. Common symptoms include tremors in the hands, challenges with movement coordination, and difficulties with facial muscle control, which can manifest as an inability to express emotions.^[1,2]

The exact cause of this brain cell degeneration is unclear, but it is believed to involve both genetic factors and environmental triggers such as toxins. Because brain cells have limited regenerative capacity, degeneration can cause permanent damage. Past treatments have focused on preventing further degeneration. Current drug treatments aim to replace the decreased dopamine production by the brain, but many patients suffer from side effects.^[1,2,3]

Stem cells have emerged as an alternative treatment option for Parkinson's disease due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types, including nerve cells. The stem cells used to treat Parkinson's disease can be either hematopoietic or mesenchymal. The therapeutic effects of stem cells aim at two things: first, by transforming into new nerve cells to replace damaged nerve cells; and second, by producing various stimulating substances to reduce inflammation or promote the regeneration of existing nerve cells.

Parkinson's disease has long been a target for stem cell therapy because the neurodegeneration that occurs in Parkinson's disease affects only one type of neuron that produces dopamine.^[1,2,3] Stem cell transplantation for Parkinson's patients began almost 20 years ago. Still, due to the limitations of technology at the time, the efficacy and precision of stem cell transplantation were very low, so a favorable treatment outcome could not be expected.^[3] However, with advances across many areas of medical science, stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease has been further developed to achieve better results, such as genetically modifying mesenchymal stem cells to produce dopamine, the root cause of Parkinson's disease, before transplanting them into patients.^[1,2,3]

Studies have reported that in vitro, stimulated stem cells can produce dopamine. This method has also been used in mice and monkeys.^[2,3] The results show that the transplantation of dopamine-producing stem cells can reduce the abnormal movement symptoms of Parkinson's disease without serious side effects. Currently, many studies are underway on the use of these stem cells in patients with Parkinson's disease.

It is undeniable that many diseases that once plagued humans are now being cured or significantly reduced in severity thanks to advances in the medical field, especially stem cell therapy for treating degenerative diseases. For those interested in storing their own stem cells or seeking more information about stem cell banking, please get in touch with MEDEZE via any channel.