April 23, 2024

Hopes fading for stem cell cure for Parkinson’s

Michael Cook

A major miracle needed

Parkinson’s
disease has always been one of the main candidates for stem cell
therapies. But a report in Sharon Begley’s Lab
Report blog at Newsweek
suggests that scientists’ early hopes are turning to pessimism.
Neurologist Jeffrey Kordower, of Chicago’s Rush Presbyterian
Medical Center, told a conference at Rockefeller University earlier
this month that it will be very difficult. “I’ve blogged before
on the growing realization that using stem cells, or cells derived
from stem cells, to repair neurological diseases is going to be
really, really hard” Begley reports. “But I’d never heard
someone of Kordower’s stature put it quite so starkly: ‘In my
opinion it will take a major miracle for stem cells to make a
difference in Parkinson’s disease.’” ~ Newsweek,
Oct 15

Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)

More Stories