First-ever stem-cell transplant for a Parkinson's patient

What's the news: The first stem cell-based transplant into the brain of a patient with Parkinson's Disease.

Why should we believe it: This news was announced two weeks ago by Lund University in Sweden. The research was carried out by scientists at Lund in collaboration with scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK. As part of the current study, seven more patients are slated to receive this treatment.

Why is this a big deal? According Gesine Paul-Visse, a principal investigator on the study, the long-term goal is to have a one-time treatment, which could be given at an early stage of Parkinson's Disease, which could last for the lenght of the patient's life, and which would reduce or eliminate the need for medication.

However, at this point, what the scientists at Lund are doing is simply a safety study. In other words, they want to make sure there are no undesirable side effects to their stem cell transplant.

Of course, they are hoping to also see that the treatment takes and the stem cells integrate into the brain, and develop into dopamine-producing cells, which are lost in Parkinson's disease. Since the transplanted cells are immature, it will take a year or more for them to fully develop, and for results to become visible.

The big picture: This is one very specific treatment for a specific disease. It's important to remember that, while a lot of interest in longevity field goes to generalized longevity treatments like blood dilution of senolytics, many specific treatments for specific age-related diseases are also being studied, and might be clinically available soon. Keep reading Long Youthspan, and I'll keep you updated on the newest practical treatments.