This looks promising.

NTCELL® continues to halt progression of Parkinson’s disease

News - ASX announcements

Woops. Progression OF Parkinson's

Yes, it does look promising. A number of us have been watching this one with interest.

A big milestone for them (later this year) will be the conclusion of the current Phase IIb clinical trial, designed to measure efficacy.

Go the piggies!

I haven't attempted to keep up with cell replacement therapies so i don't know how the subject is truly evolving. I am aware though, that little real progress has been made since the PD community heard the "Swedish human fetal cell SN implants" results. The PD commmunity could imagine a working cure in 5 years; that was several decades ago. Was this task so impossible as to stump the greatest teams assembled who could have brought a similar technology to fruition? No, believe it or not , it became a moral issue brought forth by an ignorant parties who enjoy their attempts to control social attitudes, and they started a grey time when researchers wouldn't touch or even say the words "stem cells". Since the revitalization of "biopharma" are we any closer to a"really significant" halt and reversal of most of our symptoms, via a cell based implant? You all be the judges of that, but i think that using porcine chorioid plexus cells held in a complex carbohydrate cage is another "attempt" to keep the never ending research money ball for PD going. Until i see the day when droves of advanced PWP,, rise from their chairs and walk , without gross imbalance or falling down, without pain from degeneration of musculature, without dyskinesia, without dystonia, without depression and hopelessness; then and only then will science have done it's job. Half assed results just won't cut it. For so many the achievement of giving us any meaningful function back has past. Yes, it has has been said that PD is a life sentence, not a death warrrant, but what kind of life? A few hours of "feeling stable" a day? So disabled by the disfigurement which dystonia and or dykinesia imposes on us that we avoid and dread going out of the house? So off that one crumples into a pile of immobile protoplasm? Enough cynicism, i can't do anything about the subject anymore so wha da phouge?.............but in 5 years? who knows? cs

Hi ol'cs,

I'm a fairly-recently diagnosed PwP (June 2015). I'm still at the stage where I (mistakenly?) believe that some of the current clinical trials might lead to therapies that I could benefit from.

I sometimes forget that there are also some advanced-stage PwPs in the forum who may view (some of?) these clinical trials in a different light.

Jeff
PS: Welcome back!

This little piggy went to market.... LOL Jeff

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

Good to hear from you. We both joined this forum in 2006 and we both sort of thought there would be some meaningful progress in the treatment of PD, maybe even a "cure". Instead we are both cynic's now and feel that time and hope is passing for people who are into this this disease for more than 10 years. My wife has had PD for at least 14 years and is close to going into a nursing home. Unlike you, Robert, my wife who was very literate cannot put a few sentences together because of the psychosis she has. You should feel fortunate in that respect. I wish you well.