Therapeutic potentials of human embryonic stem cells in Parkinson's disease.

The loss of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is the pathological hallmark characteristic of Parkinson's disease (PD). The strategy of replacing these degenerating neurons with other cells that produce dopamine has been the main approach in the cell transplantation field for PD research. The isolation, differentiation, and long-term cultivation of human embryonic stem cells and the therapeutic research discovery made in relation to the beneficial properties of neurotrophic and neural growth factors has advanced the transplantation field beyond dopamine-producing cells. The present review addresses recent advances in human embryonic stem cell experimentation in relation to treating PD, as well as cell transplantation techniques in conjunction with alternative therapeutics.