University of Melbourne: Stem Cell Breakthrough for Parkinson’s Disease

Australian scientists have developed a new technique using stem cells, in the hope to replace damaged cells in Parkinson’s disease. The technique could be developed for application in other degenerative conditions.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have made a breakthrough in the use of stem cells to treat Parkinson’s disease.Stem cells can be used to allow the body to produce dopamine, which prevents Parkinson’s.Until now, treatment has been too risky because some of the stem cells can become carcinogenic. Scientists have now found a way to identify and separate the therapeutic cells from the dangerous ones.

“We have made some recent progress in that area by identifying novel molecules on the therapeutic cells that allow us to target them and essentially pull them out and purify them,”  said Dr Lachlan Thompson of the University of Melbourne. ”I think that will really potentially be an important breakthrough on the road to clinical translation. Read the rest of this entry »»»