I agree that it is putting the cart before the horse in a sense; however, in this instance time is on our side. If they think it took 10-20 years for PD to develop ; in first place; this may just give a patient back those years (in a sense) even though new neurons degenerate. In this time period they may actually find something to stop progression.

I think this study is exciting because it is the first time they will use patients own cells and they know how to get new neurons into the right part of the brain. My biggest concern all this research seems to ignore the fact that we lose far more norepinephrine cells in the locus coereleus than we do dopamine. Research also shows that dopamine loss alone does not result in PD like symptoms, so until someone can tell me that they will restore both I don't see how it will make it through even Phase 2 in trials.

My other question is do we have evidence that those in the Canadian study had a significant reduction in symptoms after the stell treatment?

Do we need to even go to these lengths when it looks like neurotrophics alone both slow progression or halt it AND greatly improve our symptoms while also being minimally invasive?

Pig cells...sorry but that is an epic waste. Why would anyone even fund that?
That is like decades behind the times when we can grow a specific neuron from our skin. Funny, how in that sense a salamander is more evolved than we are; they can grow back tails (with dopamine btw) and we have to force new cell growth in a petri dish. Go figure. Just my not so humble opinion.

Thanks for the news!