The Parkinson's Disease Society (PD) has announced funding of £170k to the University of Bristol for research into how to make stem cells produce dopamine and live longer after they have been transplanted into animals.
The team at Bristol University led by Dr Maeve Caldwell, Senior Research Fellow, will investigate whether they can turn human embryonic stem cells into nerve cells that produce dopamine, by adding proteins called Lmx1a and Bcl-xl which can protect the nerve cells from damage.
Stem cell therapy offers great hope for repairing the brain in people with Parkinson's. It may ultimately offer a cure, allowing people to lead a life that is free from the symptoms of Parkinson's.
Researchers have already investigated the potential of using human embryonic stem cells derived from nerve tissue for Parkinson's stem cell research, but these dopamine producing cells have died after being transplanted into animal models of the condition.
Dr Caldwell comments:
“If successful, we will then transplant these cells into an animal model that has the symptoms of Parkinson's to see if they are indeed dopamine producing nerve cells which can survive in the brain, even possibly reversing the symptoms of the disease. This could be a major step forward in developing an eventual cure for Parkinson's Disease.”