dopamine producing neurons that researchers at Lund University have grown in the laboratory from human embryonic stem cells (Photo: Agneta Kirby)
Dopamine-producing neurons that Lund University researchers have grown in the lab from human embryonic stem cells (Photo: Agneta Kirby)
light at the end of the tunnel
Stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease has received approval to enter a clinical trial in Sweden
Congratulations to Agnete Kirkeby, Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at reNEW, UCPH, for the tremendous success in bringing hope to people with Parkinson's disease as part of a ten-year team effort between universities and hospitals in Sweden and the UK.
The Swedish Medicines Agency today approved a stem cell-based clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
“This achievement builds on work that started in 2009 when I started as a postdoc in Malin Parmar's laboratory in Lund. After the first positive results from cell transplantation in animal models of Parkinson's disease in 2012, we have worked very hard to develop a stem cell therapy that is suitable for transplantation into humans in terms of quality, purity and safety. We have now received approval from the Swedish authorities to enter clinical testing with this product, which hopefully means that we can transplant the first patients soon. It is very moving for me to see that this project has progressed so far,” says Agnete Kirkeby, Principal Investigator at reNEW UCPH and leading the preclinical development of the stem cell product at Lund University.
The decision of the Swedish Medicines Agency (MPA) granted approval for a phase I/IIa clinical trial for STEM-PD, a human embryonic stem cell-based medicine for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. STEM-PD is a stem cell-derived dopamine nerve cell product designed to replace dopamine cells that are lost in the brains of Parkinson's patients. The Swedish Ethics Committee has already given ethical approval for the study and the STEM-PD team led by Malin Parmar from Lund University in Sweden is now ready to proceed with the study.
“Bringing stem cell therapies into clinical trials is an enormous task that has been accomplished through great collaboration between our teams in Lund and Cambridge and through our close partnership with Novo Nordisk. This is the first pluripotent stem cell therapy for a CNS indication to enter clinical trials in Europe and the first pluripotent-based cell product to be administered to patients in Scandinavia. Our data show that the STEM-PD product is safe and highly effective in reversing motor deficits in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease. We hope that cell-based therapies such as STEM-PD can offer patients novel restorative treatment options that provide better and longer-lasting symptom relief and reduce dependency on daily medication,” says Agnete Kirkeby.
 Agnete Kirkeby |
 Malin Parmar |
 Hakan Widner |
 Roger Barker |
Source: Press release from Lund University, Sweden, 20.10.2022/XNUMX/XNUMX https://lnkd.in/eD4GZb4J
Jurgen Zender, August 23.10.2022, XNUMX
Since I worked in hematology for many years, studies and especially stem cell transplants have been an established and valued therapy for me for many years. For me, this study represents an enormous opportunity for Parkinson's treatment.
I would like to participate in the new study on embryonic stem cell transplantation! Is this only possible for Sweden?
Sorry
Unfortunately, I didn't have my "Parkinson" fingers completely under control, so when I sent comment #1, I pressed the wrong button before I could enter my data. Of course I'm not "anonymous" !!
Angie