Cell therapy using induced pluripotent stem cells for Parkinson's disease

Abstract

Although pharmacological treatments for Parkinson's disease, such as L–dopa, show good response in the early phase, patient outcomes over the long term are unsatisfactory. As an additional treatment, cell therapy with aborted fetal tissues has been performed since 1980's. Despite positive results, the limited supply of donor source and the unstable quality of the cells prevent this therapy from becoming standard. Regenerative medicine for Parkinson's disease using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is drawing attention, because it offers a limitless and more advantageous donor source than aborted embryos. We are preparing a clinical trial that involves the transplantation of dopaminergic neural progenitors differentiated from iPSCs. We have successfully established a protocol to induce dopamine neurons from iPSCs and have transplanted these neurons into Parkinson models of mice, rats, and cynomolgus monkeys for preclinical study.