STEM CELL THERAPY FOR PARKINSONS DISEASE
Understanding Parkinsons
Parkinsons is referred as a disorder of central nervous system which is degenerative in nature. Anatomically, it occurs because of death of cells which secrete a chemical known as dopamine in the ‘substantia niagra’ of mid brain. Parkinsons is marked by the presence of tremors, ridgidity and bradykinesia.
How do stem cells function?
Stem cells can be called as the master cells of our body. Being versatile, they have the potential of self -renewing and producing multiple generations. The stem cells have two basic functions to benefit you. They are:
- They may reverse the disease process and decrease pain and suffering from disease.
- They stop the process of cell damage thereby preventing further deterioration.
An overview of Parkinsons symptoms
There are some known symptoms of parkinsons disease which are as follows:
- Tremors – where there is shaking of hands even during rest and continuous rolling of thumb and fingers with each other.
- Bradykinesia – or overall slowness in performing any simple day to day task. The feet tend to freeze when the patient tries to initiate a step. Other basic tasks consume more time than usual.
- Muscular ridgidity – sets as sudden spasm in limbs or neck. This stiffness often restricts range of motion and causes pain time to time.
- Loss of unconscious movements - where patient loses voluntary control over simple movements like smiling, blinking of eye, arms swinging etc. and over a period of time develops a fixed expression.
- Speech impairment – often exhibits as patients speaks soft tone, repeats words again and again, speaks rapidly and slurs during speech.
- Posture impairment- this occurs when patient loses his balance, sways while walking and then gradually adopts a stooped posture by the late stages of disease.
- · Dementia - occurs as patient shows signs of memory loss and mental fuzziness.
What is the treatment for Parkinsonism?
- Medications
Drugs to enhancedopamine secretion are administered.
- Physical therapy
Physical therapy is given to improve balance and coordination and restore the range of motion.
- Deep brain stimulation
This helps in encountering the motor symptoms of disease like tremors.
- Surgery
Surgery is last chosen option after all methods fail to improve the patient’s overall condition.
- Stem cell therapy
Not given as the first line of treatment but is considered as a breakthrough in changing the disease course.
How effective is stem cell therapy in Parkinsons?
The stem cell therapy is being tested in latest clinical research studies, hence it is not offered as the standard mode of treatment in parkinsons. Hypothetically when stem cells are transplanted in the mid brain, they are thought to enter the damaged tissue, differentiate on its own into multiple new cells and secrete dopamine.
Advantages of stem cell therapy
Following are the advantages of stem cell therapy:
- There is no rejection from own body.
- No side effects
- Capable of replacing the damaged tissue completely.
- Introduce as new cells to the damaged area and treat the injury successfully.
