Bad news on Stem Cells for now: Parkinson's... - Cure Parkinson's

Cure Parkinson's

25,519 members • 26,838 posts

Bad news on Stem Cells for now

•

12 years ago•3 Replies

Parkinson's Disease Cure May Be In Stem Cell Research, But..

Editor's Choice

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease

Also Included In: Stem Cell Research

Article Date: 04 Oct 2012 - 11:00 PDT

email to a friend printer friendly opinions

Ads by Google

Alzheimer's Research - Currently enrolling patients in your area. Find out more. - thinkalz.com

New Parkinson's Research - Discover an Exercise Bike Proven to Reduce PD Symptoms. Free DVD Today! - Theracycle.com

Hand Tremors Remedy - learn how I stopped my hand tremors for good. - TryTremadone.com

Current ratings for:

Parkinson's Disease Cure May Be In Stem Cell Research, But..

Patient / Public:

3.67 (3 votes)

Healthcare Prof:

Experts mostly agree that the key for a cure for Parkinson's disease will probably come from stem cell research. However, stem cell research is not advancing as fast as sufferers would like.

An advanced stem cell growth solution that may potentially lead to a search for a Parkinson's cure, according to a communiqué released today by Rainbow Biosciences. The company is working towards having such technology on the market as soon as possible.

Scientists say that ethical dilemmas and government restrictions have made stem cell research breakthrough much more difficult to achieve. Add to this the difficulty in controlling stem cell behavior in the lab, and the task seems even harder.

Rainbow Biosciences says that one way to accelerate research projects and make them advance more efficiently is to increase the availability of top-quality adult stem cells for research.

Rainbow says it is working on this. It is in discussions with Regenetech regarding acquiring a license to perform cell expansion using its Rotary Cell Culture System, which was originally developed by NASA.

Rainbow Biosciences wrote:

"The Rotary Cell Culture SystemM is a rotating-wall bioreactor designed to facilitate the growth of human cells in simulated weightlessness. Cell cultures, including stem cells, grown inside the bioreactor look and function much closer to human cells grown within the body than the flat cell cultures grown in Petri dishes."

The company would like to bring the bioreactor to "emerging research markets" which do not face as many regulatory roadblocks. They say this will help activate "billions of dollars' worth of research" into potential cures for Parkinson's disease, as well as some the disorders of the nervous system.

Rainbow Biosciences says that this new addition to the stem cell research world will compete alongside industry giants, such as Amgen Inc., Celgene Corporation, Gilead Sciences Inc., and Gynzyme Corp.

In 2011, scientists from the University of Edinburgh reported in the journal Nature Communications that they had made a "breakthrough" in Parkinson's disease. They had successfully grown stem cells from the skin of a patient with rapidly progressing Parkinson's. The cells, which mimic Parkinson's features, should help researchers understand the disease more accurately. They added that with the stem cells they may also determine why exactly some nerve cells die.

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a nervous system disorder that affects how the patient moves, including their writing and speech. It is a progressive disorder which may start off with ever-so-slight tremors in one hand. Patients also experience stiffness and find they are unable to carry out movements as rapidly as before (bradykinesia). Muscles become weaker and the individual often assumes an unusual posture.

Parkinson's disease symptoms are caused by a loss of dopaminergic cells (types of nerve cells) in the substantia nigra part of the brain. These cells are responsible for producing the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine helps transmit body control and coordination movement messages from the substantia nigra to another area of the brain, the corpus striatum - when these two parts of the brain communicate properly, there is good muscle movement and coordination.

If the Dopaminergic brain cells are damaged or destroyed, dopamine production is reduced and the messages from one part of the brain to the other are affected. Parkinson's disease symptoms get worse as dopamine levels drop.

Written by Christian Norddqvist

Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

Additional

References

Citations

Visit our parkinson's disease section for the latest news on this subject.

Rate article:

(Hover over the stars then click to rate) Patient / Public:

12345

or Health Professional:

12345

Ads by Google

Hollister Continence Care - Resources and Support for Living with Spinal Cord Injury. - hollister.com

Veterinary Stem Cells - Dog and Cat Arthritis Care 312-583-1921 - metrovetchicago.com

Stem Cell Rejuvenation - Stem cell therapy center US-based autologous treatment - the-stem-cell-center.com

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Parkinson's Disease Cure May Be In Stem Cell Research, But..'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*

E-mail Address:*

Your Opinion Title:*

Opinion:*

This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

Type the two words:

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to: pressrelease@medicalnewstoday.com

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

navigation:

home