Mesenchymal Stem Cell Based Therapy for Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease with a multifactorial etiology, the predominant pathology of PD is the loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra. It is characterized by hallmark signs of bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and postural instability. Medical and pharmacological treatments for Parkinson’s disease are limited to the symptomatic relief of patients, and has failed to prevent or slow down the process of neurodegeneration. Cell transplantation is a strategy with great potential for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Mesenchymal stem cells are a great therapeutic cell source because they are easy accessible. They have trophic effects for protecting damaged tissues as well as differentiation ability to generate a broad spectrum of cells, including dopamine neurons, which contribute to the replenishment of lost cells in Parkinson’s disease.