For 10 million worldwide patients with Parkinson’s disease, news out of Japan that a large pharmaceutical corporation is seeking approval for a new stem cell-based treatment should be hugely encouraging.

Following a successful clinical trial in which seniors between 50 and 59 years of age received injections of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) and saw either a halting or reversal in symptoms, Sumitomo Pharma have applied for manufacturing and marketing authorizations in Japan and the United States.

Parkinson’s is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive loss of dopamine producing cells that results in a loss of motor functions.

The clinical trial was led by Kyoto University, and the published results in Nature showed that 4 out of 7 patients saw impr

See Full Page