Endometrial Stem Cells Repair Parkinson's Brain Damage

Preliminary study results offer hope of a new treatment for women with Parkinson's disease. Professor Hugh S Taylor of Yale School of Medicine and colleagues colleted and cultured endometrial stem cells obtained from 9 women. Tests showed that the stem cells can be transformed into dopamine-producing neurons similar to those found in the brain. The cells were then transplanted into a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, where they successfully raised dopamine levels. The findings raise the possibility that it may be possible to harvest endometrial stem cells from women with Parkinson's disease and use them to re-grow brain areas that have been damaged by the disease.