Title:Stem Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: What Promise
Does it Hold?
Volume: 19
Issue: 2
Author(s): Ava Nasrolahi, Zahra Shabani, Saeed Sadigh-Eteghad, Hanieh Salehi-Pourmehr and Javad Mahmoudi*
Affiliation:
- Neurosciences Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Keywords:
Parkinson's disease, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, secretome.
Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized
by substantia nigra dopamine cell death and a varied clinical picture that affects older people. Although
more than two centuries have passed since the earliest attempts to find a cure for PD, it remains an unresolved
problem. With this in mind, cell replacement therapy is a new strategy for treating PD. This novel
approach aims to replace degenerated dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons with new ones or provide a new
source of cells that can differentiate into DAergic neurons. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), mesenchymal
stem cells (MSCs), neural stem cells (NSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are among the
cells considered for transplantation therapies. Recently disease-modifying strategies like cell replacement
therapies combined with other therapeutic approaches, such as utilizing natural compounds or biomaterials,
are proposed to modify the underlying neurodegeneration. In the present review, we discuss the current
advances in cell replacement therapy for PD and summarize the existing experimental and clinical
evidence supporting this approach.