New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) A 45-year-old patient suffering from Parkinson's disease showed sharp improvement after undergoing stem cell therapy, according to claims made by the doctor who treated him.
So far, such therapy has been effective only in diseases related to spinal chord and bones.
The development is significant because until now drugs available in the market are only able to control the symptoms and not bring improvement in a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease.
The patient in question had severe complications, said Geetha Shroff, founder and medical director of Nutech Mediworld, in a press release.
She tried stem cell therapy, also known as HESC (Human Embryonic Stem Cells), which has proved effective in several major health complications including that of spinal cord and bones, on the patient.
"Through stem cell therapy the patient has shown marked improvement. He is able to speak, write and balance himself properly," claimed Shroff, a stem cell therapy expert.
Shroff said the stem cell therapy has caused a reduction in tremors, muscle rigidity and bradykinesia (slowness of movement) of the patient. Numbness in his hands and legs has also gone down.
"HESC treatment is a breakthrough in medical science as no one can deny the huge potential that these cells have in treating the worst afflictions," she said in the release.
Parkinson's disease is caused by gradual loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Dopamine is a brain chemical that, among other things, helps to regulate movement and emotional responses.
Explaining the procedure, Shroff said: "The stem cells have the ability to change or differentiate into other types of cells as they are regenerative. The stem cells aimed at replacing the degenerated dopaminergic neuron cells (DA) or providing a cell source that can differentiate into DA neurons."
Shroff said she has been practising cell-based therapy for over 13 years and has treated over 1,400 patients including those suffering from bone damage and paralysis.
