says a scientific advisor for the Michael J. Fox foundation.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news...133_13825.html

"Stem cell therapy will be utilized in treating patients suffering from Parkinson's disease within the next five years, a renowned Swedish expert said during his visit to Seoul.

Olle Lindvall, a professor of Lund University in Sweden, said that the cure for the Parkinson's disease is likely to be one of the first and most effective applications of human stem cell research, though the field in general has many obstacles to overcome.

``I think that Parkinson's disease is one of the diseases where we will be able to do the first clinical test,'' Lindvall told The Korea Times Thursday. ``With the stem cell approach, though I cannot guarantee, scientifically-based clinical trials will be carried out within five years. When it comes to the other diseases, it is less sure.''

In stem cell research, new cells are obtained from either fertilized human eggs (embryo) or from adult tissues, and then the reproduced cells are then used to replace or reinforce damaged cells and organs of patients. South Korea is one of the leading countries in this field along with the United States and several European countries.

Parkinson's disease is one of the most common brain malfunctions, which impairs patients' physical movement and speech. Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer, and actor Michael J. Fox also suffer from this disease.

Lindvall is a 25-year veteran in restoring brain function with cell therapies. He is also the scientific advisor for the Michael J. Fox foundation, a non-governmental organization dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease. He's attending the Seoul Symposium on Stem Cell Research being held at Korea University.

The basic idea of Lindvall's approach is to produce healthy brain cells from human stem cells, and inject them into the patient's brain. Many previous researches have shown that transplanting specific human tissues into the brain actually helps ease Parkinson's disease, even though the method may not completely cure it.

``We have transplanted dopamine cells from fetuses into the brain and saw they can survive. I think that there are many attempts to produce this type of cell from different types of stem cells,'' he said, adding that animal tests are already underway in many institutions around the world. ``I think that it can realistically happen within the next five years.''

Regarding the disgraced Korean stem-cell researcher Hwang Woo-suk, Lindvall said that the former Seoul National University professor won't be easily trusted in the scientific circle anymore. Hwang is known to have restarted his research in Thailand, to avoid public attention of Korean peers.

``I don't want to judge anyone, but it is very difficult to trust him. That is the problem,'' he said. ``Of course one has to give people a second chance but it is very difficult to do that, because you have to rely on people, and you have to trust.''

Neil.

Hate to be so skeptical, but I've been hearing "cure in 5 years" for 17 years now,

me too! My advice is believe it when your Doctor offers it to you as a cure!!

Charlie

I suppose that researchers may not realize that those of us waiting and hoping in the wings have heard the "cure in five years" claim too many times in the past for it to have much credibility anymore. Why don't they pick another number for a change?

Or maybe they mean in dog years...

He may mean 5 yrs till clinical trials. I think the part these researchers tend to leave out, is that once clinical trials begin, it's many more years till the treatment gets on the market and most don't make it.

Andy Grove is trying to say that by rebalancing the funding from NIH, to give ENOUGH funding through new types of grants to research a treatment all the way through clinical trials, and if they don't meet their endpoints, don't renew the grant. This is taking into consideration that they are not throwing away drugs as "failures" before truly analyzing that failure and that failures be redefined. Failures tell you what you should try next with the same drug. And if you have the funding, you can do this.

Who sets the baselines for improvent? Who sets the percentages of improvement required? Learn from the failure and keep going. The way they do it now, they fund tons of basic research that never gets any further. They throw away drugs that they perceive won't make money. Or they just don't have the money to continue. A massive waste.

Andy Grove's talk is one of the most important talks I"ve ever read. It makes sense, but people have to help him champion it. That's us.

paula

then you have to be right one time

I found it encouraging due to the guy's position and that he was suggesting stem cell replacement therapy was "close". I thought they were still struggling with stem cells becoming cancerous.

I await my cure in 2012 with expectation, then I shall tell you all "I told you so"

Take care,
Neil.

That'll teach you to be an optimist! I think it's the moon, lol.

paula

Science is our only hope for a cure for this PD. (Private I cal it Gymnadenia).

At this point who cares how long it takes. When it's ready, it's ready. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

GregD

I was withdrawn to the following links with claims and videos of advanced PD patient successfully treated with stem cell therpies in China !!!!!!!!!!?????? I wonder
http://www.stemcellschina.com/conten...3/309/lang,en/
http://www.stemcellschina.com/