Stem Cells Parkinson’s
When it comes to your brain health there is no greater fear amongst people than the thought of developing a disease such as Alzheimer’s Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease or Lou Gehrigs Disease (ALS). These are dreaded conditions that can take away your heath, your mind, your body and your life. Stem cells Parkinson’s could well be the solution for this worrying problem.
The thought of losing your mind is certainly very worrying, however new research in the field of stem cells parkinsons disease seems very promising and may well prove to be the answer for those with diseases such as dementia, Lou Gehrig’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Stem cell Parkinson therapy is now becoming more accessible and available for sufferers of these conditions.
Research has now indicated that by using fetal stem cell therapy, in the stem cells parkinson’s treatment procedure, there is no need to utilize the controversial embryonic stem cells therapy technique.
This new therapy offers the potential for these conditions to be significantly improved and there seems to be new found hope on the horizon for those with family or friends that are affected.
About 10 years ago, medical experts believed that neurons in the adult human brain and spinal cord could not regenerate. Once dead, it was thought, central nervous system neurons were dead for good. Since rebuilding nervous tissue was not possible, research focused almost entirely on therapeutic approaches to limiting further damage.
That notion that brain cells and tissues cannot be regenerated is now history. In the 1990s, neuroscientists discovered that some parts of the adult human brain can, in fact, generate new neurons, at least under certain circumstances.
Also, they found that the new neurons arise from “neural stem cells” in the fetal as well as in the adult brain. These young cells look almost the same as cells in a developing fetus that give rise to the brain and spinal cord. The researchers also found that these neural stem cells could generate many, if not all, types of cells found in the brain.
Such brain cells includes neurons (the main message carriers in the nervous system, which use long, thin projections called axons to transmit signals over long distance) as well as crucial neural-support cells called oligodendrocytes and astrocytes.
The discovery that the brain has a regenerative capacity is exciting and leads to hope that it may eventually be possible to repair damage from terrible degenerative diseases such as alzheimer’s dementia, parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou gehrig’s disease), as well as from brain and spinal cord injuries resulting from stroke or trauma.
Researchers have used stem cells experimentally to relieve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in rats, demonstrating the cells can be turned into neurons that make dopamine, a key brain chemical.
The researchers at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., showed in tests that the cells injected into rats whose brains had been chemically damaged would automatically convert to correct the Parkinson’s symptoms.
Experts said the study, which featured in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was significant because it showed stem cells could be used to treat brain disorders.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University also reported preliminary evidence that stem cells can restore movement in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This degenerative disorder, also called as Lou Gehrig’s disease, progressively destroys special nerves found in the spinal cord, known as motor neurons that control movement. Patients with ALS develop increasing muscle weakness over months to years, which ultimately lead’s to paralysis and death. The cause is largely unknown, and there are no effective treatments.
Three months after giving stem cell injections to rats with ALS, many of the treated rats were able to move their hind limbs and walk, while the rats that did not receive cell injections remained paralyzed. The researchers were impressed by the results.
Stem cells for Parkinsons using precursor cells derived from fetal animals is not a new therapy and has been used for over 80 years to help people recover from all sorts of health problems including brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s disease, dementia, cerebral palsy, ALS and more.
More recent advances in this exciting field of medicine are indicating that using fetal precursor cells to treat Parkinson’s disease is safe with minimal side effects, and has the potential to improve this terrible disease.
Umbilical cord stem cell therapy however has limited uses when it comes to this condition and I don’t believe is not of any significant use.
Stem cells pros: there is no doubt in my opinion that when looking at stem cells pros and cons, the pros far outweigh the cons. When I say this however, I am referring to the use of fetal precursor cells taken from fetal animals and not embryonic human or adult human stem cells.
Stem cells ethics: there is of course the stem cells ethical debate to consider as well. I believe that if human embryos are being used as the source of the cells, then yes there is a huge question mark over this procedure. However, I feel that when animal fetal precursor cells are used (which are more effective and more plentiful anyway), the stem cell research ethics or issues with this procedure are minimized and are inconsequential.
It’s never too late to stop or reverse a serious condition like Parkinson’s and stem cell therapy just may be the ultimate solution and therapy for this and many other previously untreatable conditions.