For the first time, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers successfully implanted stem cells generated from skin cells into the region of a monkey’s brain that was affected by Parkinson’s disease, according to a study released Thursday.
UW-Madison neuroscience professor Su-Chun Zhang, the lead researcher on the project, extracted cells from three monkeys’ skin and turned them into stem cells, which are cells that have not yet been differentiated to fit a specific purpose in the body.
In his research Zhang changed the Induced Pluripotent Stem cells, derived from non-embryonic cells, into the dopamine-creating cells and implanted in an area of the monkeys’ brains that contained a lesion causing Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, which results from the death of dopamine-creating cells. It causes behavioral and cognitive problems, including shaking, dementia and slow movement, and currently has no cure.
One of the major setbacks in previous stem cell research was immune rejection, which occurs when a patient’s body rejects stem cells because they come from another source. This research marks an important step in solving the issue, Zhang said, because his research created stem cells from the monkey’s own body, which prevents immune rejection.
Zhang said the implanted stem cells integrated so well into the monkeys’ brains that they were virtually indistinguishable from normal cells.
Researchers hope to apply the same principle idea from this study to treat other diseases, according to Zhang. He added they hope to use the procedure in human clinics, after further documented success.
Moving forward, Zhang said his team will continue to monitor the monkeys to ensure no side effects develop from the surgeries and to see if the integrated cells help diminish or cure the effects of Parkinson’s.
“I think it’s quite unique for UW to lead this part,” Zhang said. “So I feel really honored to do this kind of work here.”
