Critical Analysis of Parkinson’s Disease Models and Cell-Based Therapy

Abstract

The degeneration of neurons because of genetic mutations and other factors in aging populations causes serious complications in normal brain function, which can result in a variety of progressive dysfunctions. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one type of these dysfunctions that constitutes approximately 0.3% of the total population and 1% of the total old-age population (over 60years). Because of the severity of this disease, it has drawn attention from medical and scientific communities around the world. The existing treatments, such as L-DOPA administration and/or deep brain surgery (DBS), have been found to further complicate the case of the patient. Therefore, alternate therapies have been investigated. Currently, cell-based therapy is a potential alternative to the previously mentioned treatments because of the promising results obtained from animal experiments and limited clinical trials. The experimental Parkinson’s disease models have significantly increased our knowledge on the progression of this disease and the scope of cell therapy. At the same time, the data from these models also raise some questions concerning the relevance of these models in a clinical setting and the efficacy of the treatment.