Jeff and all: Sure there is no reason not to believe that some of the current clinical trials will lead to therapies which may help you, but what is the cost to benefit ratio? We must not forget that we can't target what we don't understand, and , over the years PD etiology has emerged as far from definitive, and this newer technique is theorized sqarely on the theory that the impant will stimulate what cells which we do have left , will be made mighty again, and grow to actively replace all the architecture of the brain that we all remember we had before PD.I must admit that when i see how flawlessly most people can move it makes me think of the days before PD and what a winey little child i was over insignificant physical problems. So some relief from PD symptoms may be attained for a certain population and "type" of parkinsonism, over the short term , by the emergence of new technology. Maybe, in the long term we will have to construct something which has been modelled to address the problems claimed so far. I guess
that these problems with the invention of a viable cell transplant may have too wait for a "borg" type approach where nanotechnology coupled with what nature can provide us can actually cut the mustard. Researchers adopt a cautious stance on cell replacement in the brain, which seems to be a tricky place to add tissue to. A tall order, to be sure but if the cells which are transplanted could only be crafted in some way to do what seems the impossible, to halt PD in it's tracks and with time reverse the deleterious cumulative damage done, then that my friends, is a "cure"; and it has some precedent done before. I sure hope "they' are close to what could be a viable mediator to the demolition, clean up, then rebuilding; "re-wiring and re-plumbing" of the near dead regions in our brains It appears that something as yet unknown is responsible for the death of dopaminergic neurons (barring genetically controlled apoptosis on que). Since this is a thread about a new approach to treat PD, there is still cautious optimism, breakthroughs do occur; but it won't be until we have elucidated the biomechanisms which are responsible for the condition of "parkinsonism" a catch all term because this has been called the "snowflake disease having identified numerous seemingly unrelated causes, and "manifesting" itself in a cloak of different symptoms. ......so much to learn , so little time. cs