Approaching a stem cell therapy for Parkinson...( High hopes have been pinned on the pros...)

High hopes have been pinned on the prospects of using stem cells to eventually be able to replace diseased or dead cells with new, healthy ones. In order to do this, the stem cells must be programmed to form cells with the exact speciality needed for the treatment of patients.

Parkinson's Disease is caused by the degeneration of dopamine-producing cells in a certain part of the brain. By studying the embryonic development of the central nervous system, research groups led by Johan Ericson and Thomas Perlmann at Karolinska Institutet have been able to show that two genes, Lmx1a and Msx1, play a critical part in the formation of cerebral dopamine cells. They also demonstrate how these findings can be used to control the formation of dopamine-producing cells from stem cells in a highly effective manner. This represents an important step in the development of a stem-cell based treatment for Parkinson's Disease.

'"/>

Contact: Press Officer Katarina Sternudd
katarina.sternudd@ki.se
46-852-483-895
Karolinska Institutet
26-Jan-2006

Page: 1
Related biology news :

1. Testosterone replacement therapy: How safe for aging men?
2. Progesterone therapy and preterm birth: More evidence helps identify women who can benefit
3. Aggressive therapy best for certain AML patients
4. Under magnetic force, nanoparticles may deliver gene therapy
5. 47th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
6. Stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in ALS model
7. Study identifies new gene therapy tools for inherited blindness
8. Breast cancer and hormone therapy -- A looking-glass mirror?
9. Radiation therapy combined with microsurgery shows promise for curing injured spinal cord
10. Nodal status is best predictor of outcome after neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer
11. Scientists follow familiar TRAIL to new cancer therapy