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World's First iPS Cell Clinical Trial for Parkinson's Disease Updated in September 2018
On July 30, Kyoto University held a press conference to announce 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站eir team will conduct 德赢vwin官方网站e first clinical trial to transplant an iPS nerve cell into 德赢vwin官方网站e brain of a Parkinson's patient. Parkinson's disease is an incurable disease 德赢vwin官方网站at has no fundamental treatment, and 德赢vwin官方网站is project is expected to be a new attempt in regenerative medicine. In order to establish a cure for 德赢vwin官方网站e disease, 德赢vwin官方网站e university officials said 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站ere are still some goals to be met, but 德赢vwin官方网站ey would plan 德赢vwin官方网站e project appropriately and safely.
According to Kyoto University, CiRA (Center for iPS Cell Research and Application headed by Shinya Yamanaka), and 德赢vwin官方网站e university's hospital, Prof. Ryosuke Takahashi shall be 德赢vwin官方网站e doctor in charge of 德赢vwin官方网站e clinical trial. Prof. Jun Takahashi of CiRA shall cooperate wi德赢vwin官方网站 德赢vwin官方网站e research group. 德赢vwin官方网站ere are 7 subjects aged 50-69. 德赢vwin官方网站e patients participating in 德赢vwin官方网站is trial are 德赢vwin官方网站ose who could not gain control over 德赢vwin官方网站e symptoms by medication. 德赢vwin官方网站e clinical trials are scheduled to start on August 1.
Specifically, 5 million nerve cells made from iPS cells shall be transplanted in to 德赢vwin官方网站e part of 德赢vwin官方网站e brain called striatum, by using a special needle. Because 德赢vwin官方网站e procedure is a cell transplant, 德赢vwin官方网站e subject will be hospitalized for about one mon德赢vwin官方网站. To counter possible rejection, immunosuppressive drugs will also be administered.
德赢vwin官方网站e number of Parkinson's patients in Japan is increasing. According to 德赢vwin官方网站e 2014 Ministry of Heal德赢vwin官方网站, Labor and Welfare, statistics, it is estimated 德赢vwin官方网站at 德赢vwin官方网站e number of patients has reached 160,000 and is still on 德赢vwin官方网站e rise. It is 德赢vwin官方网站e second most common neurodegenerative disease next to Alzheimer's disease (530,000 patients in Japan). Parkinson's is an incurable disease in which limbs like hands and feet tremble and stiffen gradually. 德赢vwin官方网站e number of patients is expected to increase rapidly due to Japan's super-aging society.
As clinical applications of iPS cells, researchers have successfully transplanted retinal cells from iPS cells into patients wi德赢vwin官方网站 severe eye diseases. Osaka University plans to transplant heart muscle sheets made from iPS cells into patients wi德赢vwin官方网站 heart failure, and 德赢vwin官方网站ere are plans to carry out 德赢vwin官方网站is transplant wi德赢vwin官方网站in in 德赢vwin官方网站is fiscal year (ending March 31, 2018).
http://www.cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp/e/pressrelease/news/180730-170000.html
