Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder,
meaning that symptoms continue to get worse over time. Approximately one
million people in the US are living with this disease. While there is currently
no cure and its cause remains unknown, treatment options for managing symptoms
range from medication to surgery.
Parkinson’s (PD) involves the death of nerve cells in the
brain, called neurons. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical
that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and
coordination. As PD progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain
decreases. The result is that the inflicted individual is unable to control
movement in a normal fashion.
Scientists are also exploring the suggestion that loss of
cells in other areas of the brain and body contribute to PD. As an example,
researchers have discovered that the first indication of PD — clumps of a
protein alpha-synuclein, which are also called Lewy bodies — is found not only
in the mid-brain, but also in the brain stem and the olfactory bulb. These
areas of the brain are associated with non-motor functions such as sense of
smell and sleep regulation. Scientists believe that the presence of Lewy bodies
in these areas could explain the non-motor symptoms experienced by some people
with PD before any motor sign of the disease appears.
Central to the conversation of the treatment of PD is
International Stem Cell Corporation (OTC: ISCO). The company’s wholly owned
subsidiary, Cyto Therapeutics, has received regulatory approval by the
Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia to initiate a phase I/IIa
dose escalation trial of human parthenogenetic stem cells-derived neural stem
cells (ISC-hpNSC) in patients with moderate to severe PD.
In 2014, the company announced encouraging results from
preclinical studies of its ISC-hpNSC therapeutic candidate. In its preclinical
studies, the cells demonstrated an improvement in PD symptoms and promoted
increases in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of
ISC-hpNSC. The studies also noted that the ISC-hpNSCs provided neurotrophic
support and cell replacement to dying dopaminergic neurons.
International Stem Cell Corporation is a publicly traded
biotechnology company with a powerful new stem cell technology called
parthenogenesis, which uses unfertilized eggs and promises to significantly
advance the field of regenerative medicine by addressing the problem of
immune-rejection. The company is centered on using stem cells to treat diseases
of the eye, the nervous system and the liver, where cell therapy has been
proven clinically but is limited by the availability of safe immune-matched
human cells or tissue.
For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com
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