New research suggests stem cells could be delivered through the nose

11 February 2011

New research published in the journal Rejuvenation Research (PDF file) this week suggests that stem cell treatments for Parkinson's could be delivered to the brain through the nose in the future.

Researchers at at the University Hospital of Tübingen in Germany successfully treated rats with Parkinson's using stem cells delivered through their noses.

What the research team did

In this groundbreaking study, the rats were first treated with a chemical that specifically damages the dopamine-producing nerve cells lost in Parkinson's.

This resulted in the death of the nerve cells and reduced production of dopamine. And the rats developed movement problems similar to those experienced by people with Parkinson's.

The researchers then treated the rats with stem cells delivered through the nose.

The stem cells naturally migrated from the nose into the brain and were able to survive for around 6 months.

The researchers also saw significant improvements in mobility and increased levels of dopamine in areas of the brain treated with stem cells.

Promising new approach for stem cell treatments

Our Director of Research and Development, Dr Kieran Breen, comments:

"This exciting study offers a promising and non-invasive approach for delivering stem cells to the Parkinson's brain.

"Delivering stem cells to the brain through the nose would have a number of advantages. It would avoid the damage, inflammation and swelling caused by brain surgery.

"And, crucially, this non-invasive technique would also make it possible to have repeated stem cell treatments over time.

"It's a very exciting time for stem cell research. But we still need to do lots more research to make stem cell treatments a reality for people with Parkinson's, including further studies to work out whether these new delivery techniques would work in humans."

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