Parkinson's Disease: Progress and Promise in Stem Cell Research

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nearly a million people in the United States. The symptoms include tremors, slow movement, muscle rigidity and less facial expression. No cure exists for the disease and current medications become less effective over time. William Langston, CEO and scientific director of the Parkinson's Institute, discusses stem cell-based research strategies to better understand the disease and to find new therapies. The Parkinson's Institute has an Early Translation grant from CIRM.

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  Science & Technology

[MissMysterics]

Out of interest can parkinsons have paralyzing or tremoring effect on organs?

I know people with parkinsons can end up paralyzed but I've never heard of anyone having a cardiac arrest or not being able to breath becuase of the disease.

[CIRMTV]

Parkinson's disease (PD) does affect nerve signals (via the autonomic nervous system) to the heart and the gut and other systems but is not fatal from the data we have so far. These effects are actually observed well before the typical tremor symptoms. Based on one research study, a common cause of death from Parkinson's is pneumonia/bronchitis. Hope this helps.

[josh yeager]

do yall kill people to try to get this cells ?

[CIRMTV]

The cells used to create reprogrammed stem cells (also called iPS cells) come from skin biopsies. Doctors remove a dime-sized patch of skin in a procedure that takes about 15 minutes.

[WhiteEmerald1991]

someone i love dearly has the disease. i believe that poople with tremors should not be embarrased. And i do hope stem cell research is a future possible cure.

[Tenneil Moody]

Frank- your openness and honesty helps us all to understand this disease and hopefully find a cure- soon!

[Polskaxlaska18]

we dont live in the 18 century any longer buddy. Stem cells have been used since the early 2000s

[john pociecha]

ive had parkinsons for approx 8 years i try to keep on top of it stilkl have my licence still pklay darts but i do totter and fall quite often thougfh i am about to start exercises to assist with that i dread the thought of losing my mind to alzeihmers but my partner and i agree that we wikll live each day as good as we can as we dont no what will happen further down the road and these will be the good memories

[ZaL s]

Even my dad ! he is 55 too .. he had this disease for almost 20 years. still waiting to find a cure ..

[TheCaller187]

"People", sorry about the person though.

[Maria Martinez]

My dad is 55 and he has thiz i feel so bad

[curtisjones400]

One of the saddest things to see is the ex-boxer Muhammad Ali suffer with Parkinson's -who would ever think that he would end up like that-very sad

[Richard Secklin]

Help here if you need it.

[johnnytijeras]

my father has Parkinson's i feel horrible i mean he use to be a cop he was so active when i was young and now is like that's not even him anymore i really hope they find a cure or something that blocks it completely

[christian101art]

My husband is crippled with Parkinson's Disease. He is a Vietnam Era Veteran, Honorable. We have experenced US Veterans Hospital abuse. Who do we turn to, to get the message to the public? My husband laid 5 hrs in his own FECES & URINE at a US VA hosp. How can our country allow this to happen? Ignored by US Veterans Admin, This issue is ignored by US Govnt officials, pres obama and VA Adnin. Thanks, K Carter, Wife/caregiver of Mr. LE.Carter, Fort Smith AR

[1990shahid]

if a person in there 30s gets parkinsons, does that mean they would have a shorter life then someone without it.