Brain Implant Therapy: a Hope for Parkinson's Patients

A team of researchers from Alabama University tested six patients of Parkinson's and found that eye cells that produce levodopa can be implanted safely into the brain without side effects. Levodopa is a prescription drug, commonly used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, but may leave Parkinson's patients susceptible to involuntary movements such as twitches.

Eye cells that form retinal pigment epithelial tissue produce levodopa and can be isolated from human eye tissue and implanted in the brain.

Research on animals has shown that the cell implants can help treat the symptoms safely.

But the US study showed it can work on humans too and paves the way for a larger, more thorough study.

Kieran Breen, director of research at the Parkinson's Disease Society, said the eye cell implants could eventually be developed to treat the Parkinson's symptoms. Therefore, this technique will be tested comprehensively and objectively in a larger trial for better and acurate results.

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