Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

Overview

Did you know?

According to Parkinson’s Statistics in the world- 

• Parkinson’s disease affects an estimated 7-10 million population globally.
• The disease affects anywhere from 41 persons per 100,000 in their forties to more than 1,900 people per 100,000 in their eighties and nineties.
• Men are 1.5 times as likely as women to develop Parkinson’s disease.

“Parkinsonism” is the umbrella term used to describe the symptoms of tremors, muscle rigidity, and slowness of movement in those with  Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that affects the nervous system. Certain nerve cells (neurons) in the brain eventually break down or die in Parkinson’s disease. Many of the symptoms are caused by the death of neurons in your brain that produce dopamine, a chemical messenger.

Dopamine deficiency causes aberrant brain activity, which leads to poor mobility and other Parkinson’s disease symptoms. This means the part of the brain controlling movement cannot work as well as normal, causing movements to become slow and abnormal. Symptoms appear gradually and may begin with a barely detectable tremor in only one hand. Tremors are common, however, they are often accompanied by stiffness or slowed mobility. Your face may display little or no expression in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. When you walk, your arms may not swing. It’s possible that your voice will become hushed or slurred. The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease grow as the disease advances.

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, medications can help you feel better. Occasionally, your doctor may recommend surgery to improve your symptoms by regulating certain areas of your brain. Patient’s quality of life is impacted by the disease, which makes social contact more difficult and worsens their financial situation due to the disease’s medical expenses. Population studies on the occurrence of Parkinson’s disease are critical to scientists’ understanding of the disease’s history, course, and risk factors. Information on the prevalence in various age groups and genders can aid healthcare professionals in developing strategies to satisfy patients’ needs.

In order to manage the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease without any addiction to medications or any surgery like deep brain stimulation, stem cell therapy emerged as an ideal choice for patients suffering day & night from it. Stem cells have the ability to self-renew and specialize into every cell type in the body, as well as the ability to replicate indefinitely. The capacity to control these cells’ fates to become dopaminergic neurons opens up the possibility of using an infinite number of cells for neural grafting. Although a variety of stem cell types have been studied as potential therapy possibilities for Parkinson’s disease, the most promising are MSCs produced from million cord tissue (Mesenchymal Stem Cells). The development of these advanced cellular therapies is making it possible to combat the progression of the disease without the resulting motor complications. To know more about- How it works for Parkinson’s Disease? Continue reading…

Symptoms and Causes of Parkinson’s

Symptoms

• Tremors or Shaking– A tremor, or shaking, usually starts in one of your limbs, most commonly in your hand or fingers. A pill-rolling tremor occurs when you rub your thumb and forefinger back and forth. When your hand is at rest, it may shake.
• Slowed Overall Movement (bradykinesia)– Parkinson’s disease slows your mobility over time, making routine tasks more complex and time-consuming. When you walk, your steps may become shorter. Getting out of a chair can be challenging. When you try to walk, your feet may drag.
• Muscle Stiffness-Muscle stiffness can strike at any time and in any portion of your body. Stiff muscles can be uncomfortable and restrict your range of motion.
• Impaired posture and balance– Due to Parkinson’s disease, your posture may become stooped, and you may experience balance issues.
• Loss of automatic movements– You may find that you have a reduced capacity to conduct unconscious movements such as blinking, smiling, or swinging your arms while walking.
• Speaking Difficulties– You may speak softly, fast, slur, or pause before speaking. Instead of the regular inflections, your speech may be more monotonous.
• Writing Difficulty– It may become difficult to write, and your writing may appear small.

Additional symptoms of Parkinson’s are-

• Depression and anxiety
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)
• Erectile dysfunction
• Excessive sweating
• Swallowing difficulties
• Excessive drooling
• Urinary incontinence
• Dementia

Causes

Although research into possible explanations for the loss of nerve cells associated with Parkinson’s disease is ongoing, no one knows why it happens. The condition is currently thought to be caused by a mix of genetic alterations and environmental influences.

• Genetics– A variety of hereditary variables have been linked to an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, while it’s unknown how these factors make some people more susceptible to the disease. Parkinson’s disease can run in families due to defective genes handed down from parents to their children. However, this is a rare kind of inheritance for the condition.
• Environmental Factors– Environmental variables, according to some studies, may also raise a person’s risk of acquiring Parkinson’s disease. Pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture, as well as traffic and industrial pollution, have been suggested as possible causes. However, there is inconsistent evidence relating environmental influences to Parkinson’s disease. Certain chemicals or environmental factors may raise the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease later in life, but the risk is modest.

Other factors for PD are–

• Age– Parkinson’s disease affects just a small percentage of young individuals. It usually starts in middle or late life, and the risk grows as you become older. The disease usually strikes people at the age of 60 or older.
• Lewy bodies are present– Microscopic signs of Parkinson’s disease are clumps of specific chemicals within brain cells. These are known as Lewy bodies, and scientists believe they may hold a key to the origin of Parkinson’s disease.

Types of Parkinsonism Treated by Stem Cell Therapy

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare condition that has symptoms that are comparable to Parkinson’s disease, such as slowed movement, tight muscles, and poor balance. It usually begins in your mid-50s. It can cause changes in your heart rate, digestion, blood pressure, and bladder control, among other things.

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)

Balance, walking, swallowing, eye movement, communication, and mental abilities are all affected by progressive supranuclear palsy. It usually begins in the mid-60s for most people, and it progresses more quickly than Parkinson’s disease. The specific reason is unknown, but the degradation of cells in your brain stem, substantia nigra, and other sections of your brain causes symptoms.

Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS)

An accumulation of a type of protein called tau in your brain causes corticobasal syndrome. Symptoms can include but are not limited to muscle stiffness on one side of your body difficulty controlling a limb, jerky movement spasms tremors, speech that is sluggish or slurred, dementia signs and symptoms, and swallowing difficulties. It commonly appears in people between the ages of 50 and 70.

Idiopathic PD

Most people with Parkinsonism have idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, also known as Parkinson’s. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown. It is the most frequent cause of Parkinsonism. It usually starts between the ages of 55 and 65, and it only happens once in a lifetime before the age of 50. As cells in the substantia nigra die and dopamine levels fall, Parkinson’s disease develops progressively. Parkinson’s disease is thought to be caused by a combination of hereditary and environmental causes. It covers all of the most prevalent signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Drug-Induced Parkinsonism

The second most common cause of parkinsonism is drug-induced parkinsonism. It happens when a medication disrupts your body’s dopamine transmission.

As you get older, you’re more prone to acquire drug-induced parkinsonism. The average age of commencement of drug-induced parkinsonism was 70.9 years old, according to a study published in Movement Disorders. The following symptoms are comparable to those of Parkinson’s disease: tremors, rigidity, slowness of movement, and gait disturbance. The aforementioned medications can produce drug-induced parkinsonism- antipsychotics, antidepressants, calcium channel antagonists, gastrointestinal prokinetics, and antiepileptic drugs.

Vascular Parkinsonism (VP)–

Multiple tiny strokes in the part of your brain that controls movement are thought to be the cause of vascular parkinsonism. It can cause symptoms that are similar to Parkinson’s, however, it usually affects the lower body.

• instability of posture
• lower-body parkinsonism is the most common type of parkinsonism.
• stumbling or frozen gait during walking
• lack of a resting tremor
• poor drug reaction levodopa

Since your risk of having a stroke rises with age, it’s assumed that your likelihood of developing vascular parkinsonism will rise as well.

Juvenile and Young-onset PD–

Juvenile Parkinson’s disease is an uncommon form of Parkinson’s disease that develops before the age of 21. If Parkinson’s disease strikes before the age of 40, it’s known as young-onset Parkinson’s.

Importance of Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease marked by a loss of muscular control. The trembling of the hands is one of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This is a degenerative disorder that worsens with age, eventually leading to Stem Cells. Balance problems, stiffness, excessive trembling, slow motions, and the inability to do simple tasks like eating are all symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease has a multitude of problems, including the loss of muscle control and the patient’s ability to think. Dementia is a typical symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, and it usually appears in the final stages of the disease. Sexual dysfunction and bladder difficulties are both possible side effects of the condition. Constipation can also happen as the digestive system slows down.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease normally appear gradually and worsen over time. Although everyone’s experience with Parkinson’s disease is unique, there are many concerns and challenges that many people with the disease face. This is not an illness that can be cured. The goal of treatment is to manage the patient’s symptoms and improve his or her quality of life. Doctors prescribe exercise to assist preserve balance and urge lifestyle improvements. Parkinson’s disease is a life-changing diagnosis. To reduce your symptoms, you’ll require long-term treatment, and you may have to change how you accomplish ordinary daily tasks.

Stem cell Solution–

Stem cells are uniquely and intrinsically able to migrate to sites of damage and inflammation in the body. Studies have shown that stem cells are able to orchestrate the repair and regeneration of deteriorated tissues, as well as modulate the immune system, to promote better health.

Depending on the ailment or the patient’s initial condition, the benefits of stem cell therapy can include a reduction in harmful symptoms, the slowing of the progression of the disease, and an overall increase in quality of life. This type of therapy is the best way to avoid surgical interventions to cure or manage Parkinsonism. This treatment is administered to patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease and can help restore some movement, reduce rigidity and tremors.

Cells that produce the chemical messenger dopamine deteriorate and die in Parkinson’s disease (PD). New dopamine cells introduced into the brain may assist to replace what is lost in Parkinson’s disease and lessen symptoms. A treatment like this could also help to lessen drug side effects. Dyskinesia, or uncontrolled, involuntary movements, can result from long-term usage of the most commonly prescribed PD medicine (levodopa) and the prog

Eligibility of Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

Diagnostic & stem cell treatment criteria defined by the stem cell experts for Parkinson’s are-

• the presence of parkinsonism, which is defined as bradykinesia, in combination with at least one between rest tremor (4–6 Hz) and rigidity
• Three levels of diagnostic confidence are differentiated: Definite, Probable, and Possible.

There is no specified eligibility for treating Parkinson’s symptoms except symptoms.

Stem Cell Treatment Protocol used for Pakinson’s Treatment by GAIA (in association with CEMAB)

Scientists and clinicians discovered that stem cell therapy could help replace destroyed nerve cells and regenerate new ones after lengthy hours and days of study, clinical trials, and experimentation. The use of young cells could assist to slow the disease’s course and onset.

Because stem cells have a unique, intrinsic characteristic that draws them to areas of the body where inflammation is present. The ability of stem cells to rebuild damaged or diseased tissues, reduce inflammation, and alter the immune system has been demonstrated in studies, resulting in improved health and quality of life.

Stem cell therapy may be able to assist Parkinson’s disease patients replace damaged nerve cells and regenerating new ones. The use of young cells could assist to slow the disease’s course and onset.

Japanese researchers tested stem cell treatment on primates (any mammal of the group that includes lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans) in a new study published in Stem Cell Reports. It worked very well because it was injected into the brain and the stem cells were not rejected. Not only that, but the dopamine-producing neurons appeared to have fared well.

Treatment Protocol–

• Our protocol consists of a two-day period including the intrathecal transplant of a minimum of 120 million cord tissue-derived MSCs (Mesenchymal Stem Cells)
• The procedure takes approximately 45 minutes
• The protocol is minimally invasive to the patient and has very little downtime
• Patients normally travel home two days following their scheduled appointment.

The key objective of GAIA’s therapy protocol (developed in collaboration with CEMAB Advanced stem cell & biotechnology laboratory) is to achieve a sustained reduction in chronic low-grade inflammation.

Advantages of Stem Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s

All other cells with specialized roles are produced from stem cells, which are the body’s raw materials cells. Adult stem cells with self-renewal, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, signaling, and differentiation capabilities are known as mesenchymal stem cells. The ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to divide and develop into various specialized cell types found in a certain tissue or organ is known as self-renewal capacity.

Replacement and restoration of injured dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brain may be possible with stem cell therapy. Patients with Parkinson’s disease may benefit from stem cell therapy to help them replace destroyed nerve cells and regenerate new ones. The use of young cells could help to reduce the progression and start of the disease. We’re seeing excellent outcomes with Cord Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells; cell counts and vitality have both increased significantly, making the treatment more successful than bone marrow-derived treatments employed in the early 2010s. The advancement of powerful cellular therapies has made it possible to combat disease progression without the associated motor problems.

Few benefits of stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease–

• No surgical intervention as it is a minimally invasive/injectable procedure
• No hospitalization required
• Very less amount of time is required for the completion of the procedure
• Treatment by the world’s renowned stem cell experts
• A subjective improvement in symptoms like facial expression, gait, and freezing episodes
• protection of the nigrostriatal system
• improved striatal dopamine release
• MSCs strongly modulate the immune system and can aid wound healing
• Improved quality of life and at times survival

The concept of employing cell therapy to treat neurodegenerative disorders has been around for decades, most notably in the case of Parkinson’s Disease, where a number of cell transplant studies have proven successful.

How To Apply For Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease?

Applying for stem cell therapy is very convenient and hassle-free for you through MediGence-

Step1– Send us an inquiry with relevant details of your condition

Step2– Our team of experts will validate your case

Step3– A dedicated patient care manager will be assigned to your case

Step4– Once validated, you can also avail a teleconsultation with our stem cell specialist

>>Frequently Asked Questions

References:

• Parkinson’s News Today
• Mayoclinic