It will be interesting to follow this research and see where it ends up. It will be a major discovery if it turns out that DBS works because it actually causes stem cell creation and activity.

The brains of patients with Parkinson's disease who had deep brain stimulation treatment produced new stem cells, according to new research.The discovery is the first step to unlocking how the treatment works.

The study, a collaboration between scientists at the universities of Auckland and Florida, showed one reason why Parkinson's sufferers' symptoms improved with the treatment.

Dr Maurice Curtis, a senior lecturer in anatomy at the University of Auckland's Centre for Brain Research, said the study showed treatment increased the level of plasticity in the brain. "In this instance the brain has actually started to produce more new stem cells in response to the deep brain stimulator being implanted."

"We always knew that when people had these electrodes implanted in their brains that their symptoms would improve, but we've never really known why that should make a difference." Dr Curtis said the results were surprising because Parkinson's sufferers usually had a reduction in stem cells.

"What these electrodes seem to be doing is to actually increase the amount of stem cells that are present in the key areas of the brain that normally just have a small number of stem cells. So the hope is that those stem cells are actually doing something beneficial."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/new...ectid=11216784

This is great, but why does everyone who gets DBS still decline? If they make MORE stem cells as a result of having DBS, then why aren't those additional stem cells stopping the PD progression? Anyone know?

I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to your question at this time. However, it may not be so complicated. While the new stem cells may help in the regeneration of new dopamine producing brain cells, they would be doing nothing in terms of stopping the cause of cell death in the first place.

Take the following hypothesis as an example:
1- Some combination of genetic susceptibility along with environmental toxins causes a protein(s) to misfold.
2 - The misfiled proteins uptake to a certain part of the brain, like the olfactory bulb. The misfolded proteins take on a prion-like nature and travel from neuron to neuron, changing the structure of the proteins in these brain cells.
3- Mitochondria in the infected neurons are not capable of removing the misfolded proteins from the cell, causing a protein aggregation which eventually causes cell death.
4- Stem cells are inserted into an area of the brain which has had a significant amount of cell deterioration which has led to serious motor and non-motor symptoms. The stem cells stimulate some cell regeneration over time, which leads to a decrease in some or all of the symptoms.
5- Nothing has been done up to this point to actually remove, block or prevent the continuous prion-like uploading of the misfolded proteins from adjacent infected cells.
6- Ultimately, the new, dopamine producing cells, will get infected with the misfolded proteins, which will aggregate and eventually die, just like the original cells.

Obviously, this is just conjecture. However, there is a growing base of animal research to support the premise. There have been mouse studies on neuronal grafting. The mice had PD induced. Then, they had clean cells grafted into their substantia nigra, which resulted in significant reductions in symptoms, which eventually returned. Autopsies eventually showed the same Lewy Body buildup as the ungrafted cells.

I personally think that stem cell and growth factor cures, if ever found, will only be effective for a limited period of time. Symptoms will return if the actual cause of neuronal deterioration is not stopped. Just a thought......

I think years ago they did transplants in PWP in Canada, and it was as you said, symptom reduction for several years, but ultimately a return to full-blown PD. Autopsies revealed the new cells had succumbed to the same fate So those therapies will either need to be repeated when their therapeutic benefits begin to wane or....the cause found.

I know of one PWP who had a second DBS suggested to him when the benefits of the first one were no longer evident. I had no idea this was an option.