Techniques in development

Surgical therapies are being developed to try to restore the normal function of the brain rather than just treating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). These are still in the early experimental phase and include:

• stem cell transplantation – involves implanting dopamine-producing cells (from human embryos) into the brain to replace those that have been lost in PD
• transplantation of genetically-engineered cells – similar aim as stem cell transplantation, but using cells that have been synthetically altered to produce dopamine
• infusion of growth factors – factors are infused into specific areas of the brain to stimulate growth of dopamine-producing cells in these areas

In the future, these and other experimental restorative procedures, may offer improved treatment for people with PD.