Is Parkinson’s Disease the Next Pandemic?

According to the Global Burden of Disease study, neurological disorders such as, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, are the leading cause of disability globally, and the fastest growing neurological disorder is Parkinson’s disease. The study found since 1990, the prevalence rate of Parkinson’s disease has increased 118% to over 6 million people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.¹

A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a disease and the results of the Global Burden of Disease study found the prevalence rates of Parkinson’s disease increased almost 22% worldwide and the rates of disease increased in every region, making Parkinson’s disease the next pandemic. Experts project that by the year 2040 the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease will exceed 12 million people worldwide.¹

In 2013, the authors of “The Current and Projected Economic Burden of Parkinson’s Disease in the United States” found the economic burden of disease to be at least $14.4 billion a year in the U.S. The researchers also found that patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease had medically related expenses of $22,800 compared to $10,000 for someone without Parkinson’s disease. With both rising medical costs and a rising incidence rate of Parkinson’s disease, it is important to provide patients access to better treatment options.²

There are several pharmaceutical products available for the treatment and management of Parkinson’s disease, but none of the treatments offer any hope of a cure, and the most effective drug, levodopa, is more than 50 years old. The Stem Cells Transplant Institute uses mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Researchers around the world are uncovering new ways to apply stem cell therapy for people suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Mesenchymal stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can be guided into becoming a specific type of cell, allowing the physicians trained in the field of regenerative medicine to use stem cells to repair diseased, damaged, or dying tissue.

The goal of stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease is to alleviate symptoms and improve neurological function. Stem cell therapy, at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute, can help improve the many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease including:

• Tremor
• Slowed movement (bradykinesia)
• Rigid muscles
• Impaired posture and balance
• Loss of automatic movements
• Changes in speech
• Changes in writing

Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to repair and regenerate neurons in the brain, reduce levels of free radicals, improve synaptic connection from damaged neurons and regulate inflammation. It is not clear how mesenchymal stem cells perform these functions, but one theory is: injected stem cells are drawn to the injured area where they release trophic factors (molecules that support cell survival) that aid in repairing damaged cells. The trophic factors can suppress the local immune system, form new blood vessels, reduce levels of free radicals, stop the damage occurring to tissue, and increase the recruitment, retention, proliferations and differentiation of stem cells.³

For some patients, in time, dopaminergic neurons may a decline, symptoms may return and another stem cell treatment may be necessary.

The Stem Cells Transplant Institute uses adipose derived, bone marrow derived or umbilical cord, mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Mesenchymal stem cells have been shown to repair and regenerate neurons in the brain, reduce levels of free radicals, improve synaptic connection from damaged neurons and regulate inflammation. If you or a loved has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, contact the experts at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute to learn more about stem cell therapy.

References:

1. E. Ray Dorsey, Todd Sherer, Michael S. Okun, Bastiaan R. Bloem. The Emerging Evidence of the Parkinson Pandemic. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, 2018; 8 (s1): S3 DOI:
2. Kowal, SL., Dall TM., Chakrabarti R., Storm MV., Jain A., The current and projected economic burden of Parkinson’s disease in the United States. Mov Disord, 2013 Mar;28(3):311-8, Epub 2013 Feb 21.
3. Joyce et al. Mesenchymal stem cell for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease. Regen Med. 2010 November ; 5(6): 933–946. doi:10.2217/rme.10.72.