The Japanese pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma has performed the world’s first stem cell transplant to treat Parkinson’s disease. The procedure took place in October at Kyoto University Hospital. This marks the first such operation since the therapy received conditional approval in Japan in March.<\/p>\n
The approval granted in March followed a successful clinical trial. As part of the study, seven patients aged 50 to 69 received transplants of between 5 million and 10 million cells into both hemispheres of the brain. Two years of follow-up revealed no serious adverse events, while four of the patients experienced an improvement in their symptoms.<\/p>\n
The therapy involves transplanting millions of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) into the patient’s brain. Cells obtained from healthy donors are reprogrammed into precursors of dopamine-producing neurons \u2014 the very cells that are destroyed in people with Parkinson’s disease.<\/p>\n
According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, more than 10 million people worldwide are living with this degenerative neurological disease. Currently available treatments only manage symptoms and cannot stop the progression of the disease.<\/p>\n
Sumitomo Pharma plans to perform transplants on an additional 20\u201330 patients by March 2029, while also conducting clinical trials in the United States. To receive full approval in Japan, the therapy must demonstrate its safety and efficacy over the next seven years.<\/p>\n