Parkinson disease and use of stem cells for therapeutic approaches of Parkinson disease

Abstract

Parkinson's disease involves a progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which causes motor symptoms such as dysfunctional bradykinesia, rigidity and tremor. Genetic mutations in Parkinson disease are infrequent and important because they represent potential therapeutic targets. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment to stop the progression of the disease but only few improvements in symptoms are accessible by current treatments based on levodopa and dopaminergic therapy. Embryonic stem cells, Neural stem cells, Mesenchymal stem cell and induce pluripotent stem cell are a good source for dopaminergic neurons and can be used for cellular therapeutic approaches. Mesenchymal stem cells are thought to be among the easiest to harvest stem cells from individual sources. Embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells have more advantages than other two. Embryonic stem cells remain highly proliferative after in vivo expansion. They can generate dopaminergic neurons and survive after transplantation. Along with it, induced pluripotent stem cells generate unlimited Parkinson's disease patient specific cells. They show some degree of functional recovery after transplantation. Hence, these two have potential to enhance the success rate of clinical trial in Parkinson disease and to tolerate adverse effects of transplantation. This review will provide an insight into therapeutic approaches of Parkinson disease by the help of different types of stem cells.