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Stem Cell Implant to the Brain Helps Improve Parkinson's Symptoms: Presented at SIR

By Ed Susman

WASHINGTON, DC -- March 24, 2008 -- All of the patients with Parkinson's disease who were treated by implantation of stem cells into the brain have achieved substantial improvement in terms of beneficial changes that were apparent within 1 week of the implant procedure.

"Our 1 patient who has reached 1 year following the implant has achieved an 80% improvement in his Parkinson's disease-related symptoms," said Augusto Brazzini Armestar, MD, Director, Instituto Brazzini Radiologos Asociados, Lima, Peru.

In his featured poster presentation on March 18 here at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting, Dr. Armestar said the implants of purified autologous bone-marrow-derived stem cells were attempted in hopes that the cells would implant in areas of the brain depleted of neurotransmitters.

"Stem cells from bone marrow have the ability to differentiate into neurons and other tissues," he said. "Usually stem cells migrate to sites of injury. However, they do so in very small quantities, and so full regeneration is not gained."

Dr. Armestar and his colleagues attempted to get more of the stem cells into the brain by using interventional radiological techniques. Stem cells were first harvested from patients' bones and were sent to the pathology laboratory to be separated and purified, at which time they were returned to the operating theatre.

A team of interventionists advanced a catheter from an incision into the groin that gained access to the arterial system. From there, under imaging guidance, the catheter was advanced through the carotid artery, the posterior cerebral arteries, and the posterior communicating arteries. At that time, the stem cells were slowly infused through the catheter into the arteries that irrigate the basal nucleus and the substantia nigra -- an area where neurons are depleted in Parkinson's patients.

To date, Dr. Armestar's team has implanted stem cells in 15 women and 32 men. The average age of the patients was about 50 years; Parkinson's disease had been diagnosed from 1 year to 18 years before implantation.

At the 1-week follow-up, 39 patients had achieved a 35% improvement as assessed by a battery of Parkinson's disease validated tests. At the 1-month follow-up, 34 patients showed a 52% improvement. At 3 months, 23 patients had improved an average of 59%; at 6 months, 6 patients had improved 76%; after 12 months the 1 person to reach that level had achieved an 80% improvement (P < .001), he said.

"Our findings show a clinical recovery of extrapyramidal symptoms, which are maintained over time, as well as function recovery, representing a better metabolism of neurons and better performance in the brain," Dr. Armestar said.


[Presentation title: Intra Arterial Autologous Implant of Adult Stem Cell for Patients With Parkinson's Disease. Abstract 301]

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