WASHINGTON, DC -- March 24, 2008 -- All of the patients with Parkinson's disease who were treated by implantation of stem cells into the brain have achieved substantial improvement in terms of beneficial changes that were apparent within 1 week of the implant procedure.
"Our 1 patient who has reached 1 year following the implant has achieved an 80% improvement in his Parkinson's disease-related symptoms," said Augusto Brazzini Armestar, MD, Director, Instituto Brazzini Radiologos Asociados, Lima, Peru.
In his featured poster presentation on March 18 here at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting, Dr. Armestar said the implants of purified autologous bone-marrow-derived stem cells were attempted in hopes that the cells would implant in areas of the brain depleted of neurotransmitters.
"Stem cells from bone marrow have the ability to differentiate into neurons and other tissues," he said. "Usually stem cells migrate to sites of injury. However, they do so in very small quantities, and so full regeneration is not gained."
Dr. Armestar and his colleagues attempted to get more of the stem cells into the brain by using interventional radiological techniques. Stem cells were first harvested from patients' bones and were sent to the pathology laboratory to be separated and purified, at which time they were returned to the operating theatre.
Read more from the source: http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/852571020057CCF68525741600511A24
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