Hope for Parkinson’s Disease with Stem Cell Therapy
December 3, 2020 Kali Alaia Stem Cell Research 0
Michael J. Fox, Pope John Paul II, and Muhammad Ali are some of the famous people who suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s is a disorder that affects the neurons in the brain. It attacks the dopamine-producing neurons, because of this the brain can develop abnormal protein clumps in their brain called Lewy bodies that hamper them from doing daily activities the normal way.
Parkinson’s Disease causes a person to have trouble sleeping and thinking. It hampers muscle activity and causes tremors and rigidity in movements. Parkinson’s leads to sleep disorders, depression, constipation, and at later stages of the disease it can lead to dementia.
Promising Clinical Trials Involving Stem Cells
In recent clinical trials, researchers tried transplanting the young brain cells from human fetuses into people with Parkinson’s disease and it has shown promising results.
Scientists make dopamine-producing neurons using human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
These neurons coming from embryonic and pluripotent stem cells turn into human dopamine-producing neurons that help the brain of Parkinson’s patients.
They do this because people with Parkinson’s disease do not have enough dopamine, their brain has a hard time controlling muscle movement and forms of thinking as a result. The disease attacks the dopamine-producing nerve cells or neurons, and the longer it stays, the wider the damage.
Lack of DJ-1 makes people sick
Another big discovery by researchers when it comes to Parkinson’s disease is the crucial role of DJ-1.It has a crucial role in making sure that nerve cells keep functioning. Once the body stops producing sufficient amounts of DJ-1 this causes the cells to die and the result is neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s Disease. And most of the time the loss or malfunction in the production of DJ-1 is caused by genetic factors.
The Luxembourg Research
Prof. Rejko Krüger’s research team in Luxembourg discovered an error in the production process known as splicing. This leads to a reduction of the protein DJ-1 production identified as exon skipping.
As a result of this defect, the protein doesn’t get built at all.Researchers were able to understand it better by looking into the skin cell of 800 Parkinson patients and 800 healthy control subjects.
Hope in Stem Cells
The researchers in Luxembourg reprogrammed these cells to grow into nerve cells in vitro. These nerve cells are like neurons in the affected regions of the donor’s brain. Researchers are not yet ethically allowed to take neurons directly from the brains of patients, this is why skin cells are used and reprogrammed instead.
This research is the foundation of what the medical world would call personalized medicine. Using the cells of the patients, researchers were able to understand the genetic form of Parkinson’s disease. They reprogrammed patient cells to stem cell work to produce necessary data.
Stem cells were used to create a precise bioinformatics algorithm so researchers can come up with an active substance in the form of drug treatment. It led to the discovery of the compound phenyl butyric acid and RECTAS (RECTifier of Aberrant Splicing). When administered in combination, these two substances will allow the cells to reactivate the production of the important protein DJ-1.
Stem Cell therapy with a combination of laboratory research and computer science is now being used as the main identifier and key to treating forms of Parkinson’s disease. Combining the disciplines into one has led to a higher rate of cure and extension of life expectancy for Parkinson’s patients.
The use of stem cells is a powerful platform for studying Parkinson’s disease. With its help, researchers can now identify compounds and could begin to eliminate disease symptoms present in cell lines of people carrying Parkinson’s mutations.
Scientists are also looking into repairing the brain, replacing neurons that were destroyed by Parkinson’s disease.
Stem cell therapy is part of the new approach and has broad applications when it comes to understanding how to create brain cell connections that were destroyed by Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological disorders.
New Breed of Homo Sapiens
There is a growing number of stem cell advocates in the world today. Award-winning author, actress-singer Lourdes Duque Baron (73 years old), and A-list Hollywood actor Michael York (77 years old) are part of a growing community of stem cell advocates.
Both a receiver of billions of stem cells themselves, they attest to the truth and efficacy of this rejuvenating and immensely powerful treatment.
Michael York a highly respected actor who is known for his work in Cabaret, Logan’s Run, and Austin Power decided to become an advocate for stem cells after receiving treatment for his Amyloidosis and Multiple Myeloma.
While 73 year old Lourdes Duque Baron experienced the healing of her Osteoporosis by way of stem cell therapy.
Lourdes Duque Baron during a photoshoot taken July 26, 2019 — she was 72.
Already in her 70’s, Lou Baron enjoys the effect of billions of stem cells injected through her veins. She is literally a New Breed of Human- faster, stronger, sharper, and operating on higher levels of energy and inspiration.
” Stem cells will reverse aging and improve the quality of life for many, but it is not a ticket to immortality”. I want my readers to fully understand and grasp the importance of this medical breakthrough. We are talking about future generations and the new breed of humans, and I want to bring the knowledge to the public’s doorstep.
Lourdes Duque Baron, New Breed of Homo Sapiens ( Author)
Sources/ Citations:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200911093004.htm