UpbeatA first patient in Kyoto has received stem cells grown to replace the brain cells Parkinson's steals
At Kyoto University Hospital, a patient has become the first person treated with a pioneering stem-cell therapy for Parkinson's disease since Japanese regulators gave it conditional approval in March. The treatment, from Sumitomo Pharma, grows donor stem cells into the precursors of dopamine-producing brain cells — the very cells Parkinson's destroys — and transplants millions of them into the brain. In the earlier trial, seven patients aged 50 to 69 were monitored for two years with no major ill effects, and four showed improvements in their symptoms. Sumitomo plans to treat 20 to 30 patients by March 2029.
The upbeat factorfor a disease where today's medicines only ease symptoms, a therapy that puts living replacement cells back into the brain has just treated its first real-world patient.
SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation
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