Experts optimistic about novel Parkinson's treatment

Medical experts have expressed optimism about the potential of a novel stem cell-based therapy for Parkinson's disease known as iPSC treatment.

The novel therapy is a regenerative cell therapy product derived from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS cells. Earlier this year, the therapy received market approval for the first time in Japan.

Globally, an estimated 10 million people are living with Parkinson's disease. In China, more than five million individuals are affected, and this number is growing by nearly 100,000 each year, with a growing tendency to affect younger populations, according to data shared during an academic conference held in Beijing on May 9.

While conventional therapies only ease symptoms and cannot stop the progression of the brain disorder that is linked to the loss of dopamine-producing neurons, iPSC treatment offers a novel approach by replenishing lost dopamine, rebuilding neural circuits, and improving the brain's microenvironment, said medical experts at the event.

Wang Han, chief physician at Peking Union Medical College Hospital's department of neurology, said that relevant research in Japan and European countries has yielded positive outcomes.

In China, domestic clinical research is also underway, including a homegrown iPSC treatment for Parkinson's disease developed by Nuwacell Biotech, which has entered second-stage clinical trials in cooperation with a number of major hospitals.

Yu Junying, chief scientist at Nuwacell Biotech, said that new stem cell treatments will likely be approved in the next three to five years, but more long-term efforts are needed to examine their sustainability and safety ahead of broader use.