I was on a radio program today, and the host played for my comment a shameless clip from an AP report depicting a Parkinson’s patient’s fury at President Bush for vetoing expanded federal funding for ESCR because he believes—because that is what he has been told—that embryonic stem cells are his “only hope” for an effective treatment.
This is just not true. There are already hopeful treatments, such as electrode implants that are helping people today. New medications are moving forward toward clinical use. Even better news seems to be in the pipeline. We have already reported here, for example, that neural stem cells taken from miscarried fetuses have apparently substantially helped monkeys with Parkinson’s. One human patient also appears to have been placed into an extended remission using his own brain stem cells. And now another apparently wonderful biotech success with Parkinson’s involving a non controversial approach: This time with gene therapy. From the story in the Telegraph:
In a pioneering study, researchers used the treatment to bring about significant improvements in the mobility of Parkinson’s sufferers. They said it could also herald a breakthrough in the treatment of other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s or epilepsy.The 12 patients involved in the study—a world-first human gene therapy trial for a brain disease—all reported a substantial reduction in their symptoms after having a human gene injected.
Within months, their ability to move had improved on average by 30 per cent. Some reported a 65 per cent improvement in their mobility.
It must be said that in the past gene therapies have disappointed far more often than excited. Still, if this success is repeated in further patients, it offers tremendous hope for people with disabling neural conditions.
The tired mantra that embryonic stem cells offer the “best hope” is getting old and losing steam. The published science is telling a different story.
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