New research offers hope to Parkinson’s disease patients
By ANIWednesday, February 9, 2011
WASHINGTON - A new research on rats with Parkinson’s disease has shown that intranasal delivery of stem cells to the brain could significantly contribute to the improvement of motor function.
The findings highlight the potential for a non-invasive approach to cell therapy delivery in Parkinson disease - a safer and effective alternative to surgical transplantation of stem cells.
In the study, mesenchymal stem cells delivered into the rat noses migrated to the brain and survived for at least 6 months.
Dopamine levels increased in previously damaged areas and motor functions improved up to 68 percent of normal in the stem cell-treated rats, reported Lusine Danielyen from the University Hospital of Tubingen, Germany and an international team of researchers.
They said that intranasal delivery of stem cells could avoid tissue trauma and related inflammation and brain swelling associated with surgical implantation of therapeutic stem cells.
The new method could also make it possible to provide repeated stem cell treatments over time.
The article is reported in Rejuvenation Research. (ANI)
