Stem cell treatment for Parkinson's disease: an update for 2005

BJ Snyder, CW Olanow - Current opinion in neurology, 2005 - journals.lww.com
BJ Snyder, CW Olanow
Current opinion in neurology, 2005journals.lww.com
Stem cells offer great promise as a therapy for Parkinson's disease, but numerous hurdles
remain to be overcome with stem cell therapy. The adverse event profile of transplantation
must be determined, and societal and ethical issues addressed. As Parkinson's disease
involves degeneration of both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons, it also remains
to be determined if transplantation of even the ideal dopamine neuron will improve non-
dopaminergic features of the disease or provide benefits superior to existing therapies.
Summary
Stem cells offer great promise as a therapy for Parkinson's disease, but numerous hurdles remain to be overcome with stem cell therapy. The adverse event profile of transplantation must be determined, and societal and ethical issues addressed. As Parkinson's disease involves degeneration of both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons, it also remains to be determined if transplantation of even the ideal dopamine neuron will improve non-dopaminergic features of the disease or provide benefits superior to existing therapies.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins