Notable Stem Cell-based Therapies Around the World for Parkinson’s disease
This page provides information about other notable regenerative medicine (stem cell) research projects and clinical trials working on a stem cell-based dopamine neuron replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease primarily.
Stem cell-based replacement therapy is moving forward in several groups around the world.
It’s important to realize these important facts about each of the projects:
- Dopamine neurons are transplanted for all of these therapies.
- No undifferentiated stem cells are transplanted.
- Each of the projects uses different sources of pluripotent stem cells* (see below).
- All are working with the regulatory agency within their country of origin. (e.g. The FDA in the U.S.)
*Pluripotent stem cells are capable of becoming all sorts of cell types. Pluripotent stem cells are not transplanted until after they are differentiated (developed) into dopamine-producing neurons in the lab. See below…
| COUNTRY | PRINCIPAL INVESTI-GATOR | STEM CELL TYPE (SOURCE) | CLINICAL TRIAL STATUS | CELLS MATCHED TO THE PATIENT? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden and U.K | Malin Parmar and Roger Barker | Pluripotent embryonic stem cells | Undeter-mined | NO |
| Japan | Jun Takahashi | Induced Pluripotent stem cells | Two patients trans-planted 2018-current | NO |
| USA, (New York) | BlueRock Thera-peutics / Lorenz Studer | Pluripotent embryonic stem cells | 01/07/21 Received FDA approval to begin clinical trials – now recruiting | NO |
| USA, (San Diego) | Aspen Neuro-science, Inc. / Jeanne Loring | Induced Pluripotent stem cells | Planned for 2022 | YES |
Aspen Neuroscience with Drs. Jeanne Loring & Andres Bratt-Leal in San Diego, CA are working with iPSC-sourced (induced pluripotent stem cell-sourced) autologous dopamine neurons. Dr. Loring is the only researcher who is working on an individualized, custom-line of autologous dopamine neurons for each patient. These DNA-matching dopamine neurons won’t require immunosuppression. The project is working closely with the FDA.
15 July 2026
RESEARCH NEWS: First in-human clinical trial results show feasibility of new Parkinson’s cell therapy
Great news from Prof. Roger Barker (top photo, Cambridge University, UK STEM-PD lead and Prof. Malin Parmar (bottom photo, Lund University, of the STEM PD programme) and Fibres from dopamine neurons grown in cell culture (large photo, Kirkeby lab, ReNew, Copenhagen).
“A landmark study led by Lund University in collaboration with the University of Cambridge, reports the first clinical results form the STEM-PD trial. The study show that transplanting stem cell-derived dopamine progenitor cells into the brain id feasible! Eight people with PD received the transplanted cells, and no serious side effects linked to the cell product were observed during the first year of follow up…”
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