STEM CELLS for Parkinson's Disease: Michael J Fox check out China

While Michael J Fox has been campaigning fervently in the US for the Democratic vote on the issue of embryonic stem cell research, out pops an article so perfectly timed that reveals the potential of NON-embryonic stem cells for Parkinson's disease.


HOSPITAL PROVIDES SURGICAL OPTION FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE

Apparently, a hospital -co-owned by a company known as the American Pacific Medical Group*- known as Tiantan Puhua Neurosurgical Hospital located in Beijing is able to procure donor retinal stem cells from the Stem Cell Research Center at Beijing University for transplantation.


FIRST AMERICAN PATIENT OUT OF THIRTEEN

53 year-old Penny Thomas from Captain Cook (Big Island, Hawaii) suffered from Parkinson's disease for almost ten years. She had surgery on May 16 and had 3 million stem cells stereotactically implanted via a 12-inch needle into the center of her brain. The procedure performed by Dr. Xiaodi Han, costed her USD 26,000 (RM 98,800) and took one and a half hours. She had to stay in China for 2 months and seems to have recovered significantly from her previous symptoms.


"I TRIED MEDICATIONS. THEY WEREN'T WORKING FOR ME"

Her doctor, Dr. Cliff Arrington from Kealakekua, vouches for her progressive worsening tremors and encouraged her to explore treatment options available overseas. Her husband and 15 year-old daughter had to do almost everything for her including cutting up her food, getting dressed and showering.

She said: "Getting ready for bed would take almost an hour every night. I tried everything holistically possible and finally went to different doctors. I tried medications. They weren't working for me."

The hospital's vice-president Sherwood Yang released a statement to say that although stem cell treatment is unable to eliminate all symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Penny Thomas' shaking is reportedly reduced, has significantly less muscle tension, increased strength and no freeze-ups. Since then she reports regularly to the hospital and is slowly reducing her medication under the guidance of the Chinese neurological team and Dr. Arrington. She is supposed to have a follow up check up in May next year to see what has happened to the implanted stem cells.

Due to the reduction in medication, her tremors returned but the doctors seem optimistic that the stem cells will do their work. I'm not sure what medication she is on but if its able to put her back on the track of normal life without too much side effect, that might already be a boon to many Parkinson's sufferers out there.

About 6 years ago, I met my friend's grandmother residing in Sydney who had Parkinson's. She would shake in waves so much that she couldn't get out of her wheelchair nor hug her grandson properly. It was my first time meeting a Parkinson's patient and it affected me greatly.


It has been postulated that stem cells obtained from the retina may be able to transform into brain cells, but although several surgical procedures have been conducted, I have yet to see the follow up articles reporting their recovery rates and long term success. I await the final verdict on the engraftment of the stem cells next May and hope that the program may shed some light on how this condition may be treated. But in the meantime, maybe MJ Fox might want to take a closer look.


*The American Pacific Medical Group may sound like an American company but is really one which was set up in 1992 by a group of 35 enterprising doctors who were trained in the US. You can read about them on their website here.