http://www.scripps.edu/newsandviews/...04/loring.html

Thanks for this, although I continue to be confused about this, in that while getting stem cells in you may help "set back the clock" (and who would not want that?), it leaves those newly implanted cells at risk for the same fate that befell their predecessors. I mean, the environment has not changed, so....

We know from the Canadian stem cell trial over a decade ago that the new cells ultimately succumbed to the same fate. I'm not knocking this, as I said, it might buy time...but it's brain surgery, too. Very risky, very expensive. Will insurance cover it? Will Medicare/medicaid? I wonder how many senior citizens would be deemed an acceptable surgical candidate for this type of brain surgery....

Not to be Eeyore, this is really interesting.

what canadian stem cells? you mean levesque at cedar sinai or do you mean the fetal transplants in the 90's by mendez?
i think they want to start with autologous to avoid any rejection problems, prove proof of concept and then move to stem cells from non-pd'ers.
can't be any riskier than DBS, more power to them and having the guts to push ahead with this.

there's a company in NZ that just started a trial using pig cell implants in a matrix that is supposed to prevent rejection. these cells are supposed to secrete substances that encourage neuroregeneration. now that's gutsy research, gutsy volunteers.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10838480

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!

ya never know. looks like the cells produce a potporri of factors, unlimited supply of cells, and if it works who cares where the cells come from? plus once they do their job, i imagine they can be genetically modified to be inactivated by some chemical.
COGANE is oral, all the other neutrophins that i've read about have to be delivered surgically. might be the "budget" treatment for the rest of the world.

http://www.lctglobal.com/html/blob.p...&document=4371

we'll know pretty soon if they got any positive results from phase1. a bird in the hand .....