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Parkinson’s stem cell research spells hope for millions of those who suffer from this disease. The cause of Parkinson’s is said to be a drop in dopamine levels in the body. Interestingly, the reason for this malfunction in the brain is not yet known and this is also one of the main reasons as to why no permanent cure for the ailment has been discovered. While there are several medications that help slow down this degenerative ailment, there is no cure as yet that reverses the symptoms and offers a permanent solution.

However, lately the Parkinson disease stem cell research promises to change it all. The research for Parkinson stem cells proposes to take blank cells from the brain and develop them into fully functional and mature cells. Since Parkinson’s is due to a drop in the dopaminergic (DA) neurons, one hopes that in time this drop can be substituted by inducing these developed ‘differentiated’ cells into the brain.

Statistics show that three of every 100 people who are over the age of 65 years, suffer from Parkinson’s. Stem cell research on treating Parkinson’s is therefore definitely highly awaited. So far these transplanted cells seem to have a tendency to form tumors and clumps and then eventually die out without any reason. Doctors are trying to ensure that these cells thrive once transplanted into the brain and do not expose the patient to risks of brain tumor.

Stem cells can be taken from three main sources, these being, adult cells, cord cells and embryonic cells. While the cord is said to be the richest source of stem cells, extraction of adult cells causes some level to destruction to the extraction area. However, very high controversy surrounds embryonic cells, since in this case, the embryo has to be destroyed in order to procure these stem cells. While the process is legal in the United States, it does face its fair share of opposition too.

It would be fair to say that the stem cell research does have its share of pros since the research offers hopes in several ailments like Parkinson’s, birth defects, spinal cord injury, cancer and the dreaded Alzheimer’s too. While there are arguments that state that stem cell research does have its cons like messing with human life and also the potential of leading to human cloning, these do not hold much ground when it comes to the promise of relief that the research offers to millions who suffer from the above listed diseases.

Recently fetal brain tissue was transplanted into the brain of Parkinson’s patients and the results showed that patients improved tremendously and further still the improvement was quite long lasting. This goes to show that the Parkinson’s stem cell research could lead to not only controlling the symptoms of Parkinson but also reversing them and curing the disease permanently and thereby allowing those afflicted with Parkinson’s to lead normal and healthy lives without depending on others.